A chance encounter
by Jayarda
Summary: Fate throws Kitty into the arms of Tom Hiddleston, literally!
1. Chapter 1

Kitty descended the stairs slowly, her left hand resting gently on the railing as she glided downwards towards the lobby of the hotel, having had a quiet glass of wine in the piano bar earlier. Demurely, she kept her eyes focussed on the ground several steps ahead of her, concentrating on where she placed her feet and the swing of her hips in her figure-hugging dress. It was her favourite, an off-the-shoulder knee length royal purple dress that perfectly offset her fair skin and dark curly hair. From the top of the stairs she heard a laugh and a child call out, she turned her head, mid-step, to see who was causing the noise, as a young boy dashed past her, causing her to lose her balance. Kitty felt her foot slip out from beneath her, two steps from the next broad landing. She tried to grasp the rail, but only succeeded in slamming her wrist against the metal pole. She slipped down to the landing, her legs curled beneath her, her left hand stinging from the impact and her left ankle sending sharp pains up into her lower leg.  
'Ouch.' She muttered to herself, blushing furiously while examining the ground. 'So much for graceful.' As Kitty tried to gather her feet without hurting her ankle further, she heard a rustle of clothing and caught the hint of a musky male cologne as a British voice asked her,

"Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride, for the most part, I think." She replied, studiously avoiding looking up.

A large hand with long slim fingers entered her view.

"Let me help you up." Said the gentle voice.

"Thank you very much." She replied, taking the outstretched hand with her uninjured right hand.

As Kitty tried to stand, her left ankle rolled, causing her to slip towards the floor again. The hand gripped hers more tightly, whilst the gentleman's other arm swung around Kitty's waist to catch her. His movement wedged her left arm between their bodies, causing Kitty to gasp in pain. She raised her eyes to look at her wrist, and saw a dark bruise already forming where she had struck the railing. Kitty winced, and realized she was still standing the grasp of man she did not know. She took her eyes off her injured wrist to look at who her rescuer was, and looked into the slim face of Tom Hiddleston. He was watching her with concern in those beautiful blue grey eyes, as her breath caught in her throat. He was wearing a close fitting black suit and white shirt, with one of those slim cut ties that emphasized his rakish frame. The black of his suit only emphasized his light coloured eyes and the coppery colour of his curling hair and neatly trimmed beard. Kitty's surprise and recognition must have shown on her face as Tom took a half step back while he ensured she was able to stand alone again.

"Can I help you down the stairs?" He asked, still yet to let go of her hand.

"Um, I think I may have to cancel my plans to go out dancing in London tonight," Kitty replied nervously. "Perhaps the piano lounge will be a better option, I'm sure George will supply me with some ice for my wrist, Mr Hiddleston."

"Up the stairs it is then." He replied. "May I have your name?"

"Miss Kitty DeVine." Kitty replied, looking into those mesmerizing eyes.

"Really?" He said, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Well, after a fashion." She said blushing. "That is my pinup name, in any case."

"A pinup, indeed." he said smiling at her, as he examined her from head to toe.

"Do you think you can manage the stairs in those shoes?" He said, looking at the black and white t-strap heels she was wearing.

"Oh," she said tearing her eyes from his. "No, I will have to take them off, that ankle will swell up shortly. It's the one I always manage to fall on, and I'd rather not have to cut these shoes off."

She made to sit on the steps to undo her shoes, but Tom gripped her fingers tightly for a moment as she moved, making her hesitate and look into his face once more.

"Let me help you." He murmured, lowering Kitty to the ground and finally releasing her hand. He knelt down and rested his left hand on her ankle, while his right hand gently loosed the strap of her high heel. He repeated the operation on her other foot, and smiled faintly to see the bottom of her foot was covered in the black nylon indicative of a Cuban seamed stocking.

Kitty took a deep breath as Tom carefully removed her heels, savouring his firm, yet gentle touch. Once her shoes were removed, Tom looked up at her, a faint smile at the corners of his lips, as he gathered up her shoes and offered her his hand again. Kitty breathed in his musky scent and tentatively reached out to slip her fingers into his grasp. In one smooth motion, Tom pulled Kitty to her feet gently. She tested her weight on her injured ankle, causing it to roll, rather than support, her leg. She gripped the outstretched hand harder, to prevent another fall and looked to Tom saying:

"I hope you don't think me terribly forward, but could I lean on your shoulder please? I don't believe my ankle will take any weight for a while."

"That just won't do." He said, frowning. He released her hand to move behind her and placed his arm across her shoulder blades. Simultaneously, he bent down and in one swift movement, swept Kitty up in his arms. Kitty instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.  
As he started up the long staircase carefully, Kitty said to him,

"You really don't have to carry me, I could probably make it."

"Nonsense, it's no trouble." He said quietly to her.  
His nearness and scent made Kitty's heart race. He was stronger than his lean frame suggested. She could feel his firm muscles even through his suit. Her breathing became more rapid as her cheeks flushed again. Kitty bit her bright red lips, unsure of where to look as his face was mere inches away from hers. Tom looked down into her face, to see her eyes dilated and her lips parted as she let out a pleasurable sigh.

Kitty realised she was staring and hurriedly shifted her gaze to her stockinged feet, feeling the heat rush to her already flushed face. She heard him chuckle quietly as he shifted his arms so she pressed against his chest even more. 'I have died and gone to heaven.' She thought. Finally, they reached the top of the stairs; Kitty looked away from her toes to the landing, expecting Tom to put her down. Instead, he kept walking towards to small bar in the piano lounge. He carried her past the dimly lit bar to a secluded corner, where he gently lowered her to her feet in front of a sofa.

"I will be back with some ice in a moment." He said with a smile, as he placed her shoes neatly under the low table in front of the sofa. "Don't wander off!"

"Thank you." Murmured Kitty as she carefully lowered herself to the sofa.

Kitty watched from beneath lowered lashes as Tom turned and walked over to the bar and started chatting to George the barman. Kitty admired Tom's slim form and the easy confidence with which he carried himself. She had always found that kind of self confidence and men who were so comfortable in their own skin extremely attractive. A throb in her wrist took her attention from her stylish rescuer. She looked down at her left wrist at the small dark stain under her skin. Kitty winced as she tried to roll her wrist around. She looked down at her left ankle, bending over to inspect it. It too, was swelling badly, although it was not bruised yet. Kitty sighed, exasperated with her clumsiness.

"How is your ankle?" Asked Tom as he placed the cloth full of ice on the table.

Kitty looked up from lent over position, "Tender and sore." she admitted. She held his eyes with hers as she slowly sat up. Not once did his eyes flick downwards to her ample bosom, an impressive feat, she noted to herself.

"George said that this is your favourite." He said, placing a glass of white wine in front of her as she sat up straight, he settled himself next to her on the sofa, just out of reach. He sat back and crossed one knee over the other as he watched her over his glass of whiskey.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that." She said as she sipped the wine. He just smiled at her as he lowered his glass to rest on his leg.

Kitty placed the glass on the table and gently rested the ice pack on her sore wrist with a wince.

"Can I ask you something?" Questioned Kitty shyly.

"Depends." Said Tom with a raised eyebrow.

Kitty blushed and said, "Did you read any of the myths and legends regarding Loki to get a feel for him as a person?"

Tom chuckled. "Of all the things you could have asked me, that's what you want to know?"

"Historian's prerogative!" Laughed Kitty."So did you?"

"Partly." He admitted. "Part of Loki was also the deep psychology of a tortured man as well, so I drew on some characters from Shakespeare's works as well."

"Of course." Murmured Kitty, looking up at Tom from beneath lowered lashes as she toyed with the strand of pearls around her neck.

"So you're a historian then I take it?" He asked, watching her intently. "What's your area of interest and expertise? Mid-twentieth century life?"

Kitty laughed, and turned her body to face him, "Not even close! But a fair guess!" She said, as she smoothed her dress from her bosom to her lap. Tom's eyes followed her pale fingers moving down her body as he sipped the amber liquid in his glass. "I specialise in Christian medieval history and ecclesiastical architecture, actually." Kitty murmured as she watched those blue-grey eyes flick back to her face.

"Not exactly the specialty I would have imagined for a woman who dresses as a 1950's pinup!" He joked, his face crinkling into a large smile. Kitty smiled back at him and reached for her wine again.

'Who needs to go out dancing in London when the gentlemen find you before you're even out the door?' She thought to herself with a coy smile.

Tom still watched her, with a solemn look that seemed to see right through her to her innermost desires. Kitty dropped her eyes to the sofa, overwhelmed at the attentions of such an intelligent good-looking man. She saw him uncross his legs and place his glass on the table. He leaned forward to take the ice pack off her wrist and examine the injury. Gently, he lifted her hand and turned it over to expose the purple bruise at the heel of her hand. Kitty shivered at the touch of his hand on hers, as she watched him lean forwards to gently kiss the bruise. His beard tickled the soft skin of her underarm, as Kitty watched, fascinated. He raised his eyes to hers and held her there as he gently placed her hand in her lap.

"Show me your ankle." He said as he picked up the ice pack.

Kitty looked at her feet. Her dress was tight enough that she could not leave one foot on the floor. She looked into Tom's face; again he had raised an eyebrow and was smiling gently, inviting her to place her foot into his lap. Without taking her eyes off of him, she raised both feet and gingerly rested her left foot on his right knee, whilst she rested her right foot just in front of him on the sofa. Without breaking his gaze, he reached for her right foot and straightened her leg so it was resting across his lap, moving forward slightly as he did so, running his hand from the crease of her knee to her ankle languidly. Kitty sighed audibly, relishing his every touch, eliciting a wicked smile from Tom. Gently he placed the ice pack on her left ankle, resting his left hand on it to hold it in position, while his right hand was placed on Kitty's knee, tracing the outline of her kneecap beneath her skin.

"So were you going out dancing with anyone it particular tonight?" Tom questioned her, as she watched his hand on her skin, mesmerized.

"Ah, no, not really." She stammered, tearing her gaze from his hand. "I just wanted to go out dancing in London; there isn't much opportunity for dancing in rural Queensland!"

"Australian!" He exclaimed. "I should have guessed!"

"By what, my luscious tan?" Kitty replied, laughing.

Once more, his eyes traveled up and down Kitty's body, drinking all of her in. Ready for him this time, Kitty held his eyes with a raised eyebrow and mischievous smile of her own. He responded with that stunning smile, full of charm, whilst slipping his thumb under the hem of her dress just above her knee. Kitty took a short breath; half closed her eyes and involuntarily clenched her dress with her right hand. 'This man has me right where he wants me, and he barely knows me!' Thought Kitty to herself, annoyed.

"Are you always so dashing or are you just particularly charming towards the pinups you meet?" Kitty shot at Tom.

"Only for the ones as lovely as you, Miss Kitty." He said to her, running his fingertips up and down her leg.

"Cheeky." She said, as she turned to survey the room.

Since it was so early in the evening, besides George the barman and the young man playing the piano, there were very few people in the lounge. Kitty took in the dim lighting and elegant furniture, and realised that potted palms dotted about meant that the sofa where they sat was mostly screened from every other table in the room. She looked back to Tom, who had reclined back and was drinking his whiskey once more with a self satisfied look on his face.

"You know, I do believe you have something of a dilemma, Kitty." Said Tom.

"Oh? And what is that?" Kitty responded, watching his lips.

"Your injury seems to have impaired your ability to walk," He said, with a rakish smile. "So it would seem that you will require assistance to get back to your room this evening. Have you given any thought as to who will help you?"

"I suspect I will find a kind stranger willing to help me, if I but ask." She replied, toying with her dark curls.

"But one must ask said stranger first." Murmured Tom, as he stoked her foot, gazing into her eyes intently.

"Indeed." Kitty replied, watching him over her wine.

Tom looked at Kitty with a smile that was all innocence and lent forward to tuck an unruly curl behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek.

At that moment, George interrupted by coughing quietly. "Another another ice pack for the lady, seeing how you have more than one injury!" He said, putting down a second ice pack on the table.

"Thank you, George." Said Tom with an easy smile.

Deftly, Tom slid an arm under Kitty's legs gently and slid closer to her along the sofa as he lowered her legs across his lap and re positioned the ice pack on her ankle. Kitty's heart leapt into her mouth, as she was almost sitting in Tom Hiddleston's lap. As close as he was now, she could easily reach out and touch him if she wanted. She reached out her right hand and placed it on his knee carefully, as though to steady herself. As she looked back at his face, he wore a small smile, as if encouraging her. Tom reached across her legs for the second ice pack. Then he captured her left hand and wrapped his own hand holding the ice pack around her wrist gently, holding her arm in place against his chest. She could feel his heart beating, steady and strong, completely at odds with her own racing heart.

"Would you mind passing me my drink?" He inquired. "I seem to have my hands full."

Kitty reached over and scooped up his drink with her free hand, taking a sip and resting the glass against the top of her breast, away from Tom, watching him with a coy smile on her face as she did so.

"Aha." He chuckled. "It seems you have me at a disadvantage."

Kitty raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. "I have you at a disadvantage?" She said incredulously. "I do believe you are the one who has taken both my legs and one arm hostage!"

Tom looked into her hungry hazel green eyes and without taking his eyes from hers, reached over and plucked the glass from her hand.

"The way in which you keep blushing, Miss Kitty, would suggest that's not all of yours that I hold hostage." He whispered to her with a wicked smile.

Kitty raised her hand to her cheek, as if she could somehow suppress the flush rising to her face once again.

"Wicked man." She muttered as she turned away and reached for her drink.

Kitty twisted her injured wrist gently, as she continued to look away from Tom over her shoulder. As she flexed her fingers carefully, she realised she could touch his face. She swung around to face him and began to trace his jaw line gently, running her scarlet nails through his short beard and across his slender neck. Tom turned his face into her hand and as she gently ran her thumb across his lips, he parted them and gently bit her finger, all the while staring up into her eyes. As Kitty slowly slid her thumb out, he kissed it gently, setting Kitty's mind aflame, as she imagined him kissing the rest of her quivering body.

"Are you always so intoxicating?" Breathed Kitty, as she continued to trace the outline of his lips and jaw.

He didn't answer, but rather placed his glass down on the table, and gently traced his hand along her exposed shoulder up to her face, where he cupped her cheek. He slid his hand around to the back of her neck and gently pulled her forward towards him, tilting his head slightly, as their lips met. Warmth blossomed in Kitty's lap as her body responded instinctively to his passionate kiss. Her lips parted as she panted, allowing his tongue to slide into her mouth for the briefest of moments, fanning the fire burning in her belly. Kitty rested her hand on his shoulder, turning into him, deepening the kiss. She clutched at his shoulder as he gently bit her lower lip, tracing his hand down her back, until he reached her waist, gripping her tightly, possessively, pulling her even closer to him. Without releasing his grip on her, Tom ended their kiss, moving to kiss Kitty on the neck, softly, once before he leaned back into the couch, watching her ecstatic face. Slowly, Kitty opened her eyes, fearful it was just a fabulous dream. She looked directly into those pensive blue-grey eyes, watching her with an intensity that both intrigued and concerned her. Kitty released her desperate grip on his shoulder, resting her hand there instead, as she studied his face intently.

"I think I may need that assistance in getting back to my room, if you are still able to help me." Murmured Kitty softly.

"Of course." Replied Tom. "Anything for the lady."

Gently, he loosened the hand that had been holding her left arm immobile and placed the ice on the table. Then he carefully lifted the ice pack from her ankle and put it atop the other.

"Would you be so kind as to hold onto your shoes?" He asked of her.

"Oh, yes. Certainly." Stammered Kitty, as she lent down and neatly hooked her high heels with two fingers, realising what was about to happen.

Tom slid his left arm under Kitty's knees, and then looked back at her face.

"Ready?" He asked her with the hint of a smile at his lips.

Kitty nodded, wrapping her left arm around his shoulders, feeling the muscles underneath his form fitting suit. Tom stood with her in his arms, as effortlessly as though he only held his whiskey glass. He slid his right hand further up Kitty's waist, securing his hold on her. He began walking towards the glass doors that would lead to the elevators, nodding casually to George as he left. Exiting the lounge, Tom headed straight for the elevator bank. Kitty pressed the 'up' button without taking her hand from Tom's shoulder, then turned back to look at him again.

'He really is one of the most attractive men I have ever seen.' She thought to herself, as she examined his aquiline features.

Tom kept his eyes looking up at the light above the elevator, waiting for the soft chime that would herald the arrival of the car, without taking his eyes off it; he lent closer to her and whispered.

"You're staring again."

Kitty blushed furiously and looked down at her feet once more. The elevator chimed and Tom stepped into it, standing next to the panel of floor buttons, looking expectantly at Kitty. She pressed the tenth floor button, feeling his gaze on her. Unable to stop herself, she tilted her face up to his, loosing herself in the depths of those mesmerizing eyes. As the elevator doors closed, Kitty shifted her hand from Tom's shoulder, to the back of his neck, willing him to lean down and kiss her again. He lent down until his lips brushed her ear and whispered

"Can I ask you something completely inappropriate?"

Kitty's chest heaved at the nearness of his lips.

"Yes". She whispered hoarsely.

"Are you wearing some manner of corset under that ravishing dress?"

Kitty giggled, both relieved and disappointed with his question. Of course he noticed it. Not just her tiny waist made obvious by her tight wiggle dress, but also the placement of his hand on her waist, he would be able to feel the boning, even through the ruching of her dress.

"Yes." She replied with an amused smile. "I have always found the hourglass shape quite lovely, and it absolutely suits the pinup style. This dress emphasizes it very well, I have found."

Tom's eyes lingered on her tiny waist, tracing the boning through her dress with his elegant fingers. The elevator chimed again as the doors opened on the tenth floor. Tom stepped out, and looked down at Kitty inquiringly.

"Right." She said quietly, looking down the hallway. "Room 106."

Tom set off, looking at the numbers on the doors. He stopped in front of her door, the last one in the short hallway, next to a window with a view of the cityscape of London.

The door had a number pad, instead of a key. Tom looked at her quizzically, raising an eyebrow.

"2452." She said, as he shifted her in his arms to dial in the code.

The door clicked open and Tom stepped through, turning slightly so as to not hit Kitty's feet against the jamb. The suite was dark but for a Moroccan lamp in the corner, casting a dim green and blue light. Gently, Tom lowered Kitty to her feet next to a piano stool in front of a dressing table and mirror. Kitty lowered herself carefully, placing her high heels on the ground.

"Can I get you a drink?" Kitty asked as he gazed around the modern, decorated room. "I picked up a rather lovely bottle of Glenlivet a few days ago."

"Yes, please." He replied, standing casually with his hands tucked into his pockets.

Kitty stood up and cautiously limped several steps over to the bar fridge, putting ice into two glasses and returning with the promised bottle tucked under her arm.

Tom's eyes had alighted on the black portfolio on the coffee table, as he draped his suit jacket over the back of his chair, the folio carelessly left open after Kitty's brief perusal before she had left her suite earlier.

"May I?" He asked, indicating the folder.

Kitty set the bottle and two glasses down on the same table. She glanced at the portfolio. It was her latest photos, a Bettie Page BDSM style shoot, with some peekaboo topless shots. She was very pleased with how they had turned out. Kitty slowly positioned herself in the rounded chair, gesturing for Tom to take a seat in the other one opposite her.

"Certainly." She said, as she twisted open the bottle and poured a generous amount into each glass.

Kitty leaned back in her seat, slipping one stockinged leg over the other as Tom sat across from her. He slid the folder over to himself and started from the first page. The black and white of her bound with red rope, taken from behind her. All she wore was a pair of high waisted panties and her black leather under bust corset.

Tom looked up at her with surprise and amusement on his face as she sipped her whiskey and watched his face intently. He looked back to the book, flicking through the pages, lingering over several of the shots. His fingers were tracing her curves in the photos, she realised, entertained. He reached the end of the book and turned back through the pages, slowly examining the pictures again. Tom sat forward in his chair, his attention obviously fully devoted to the images he held.

"These are...exquisite." He murmured looking up at Kitty from beneath those long lashes. "Would it be presumptuous to ask if I might have one?"

Kitty sipped the whiskey, her face a blank mask as she revelled in the power she held over this intelligent, handsome man who had so far held her completely in his thrall. She lent forward, placing her glass on the table; his eyes darted down to glance at her cleavage briefly before flicking back up to her face.

"That depends. Which one would you like?" She asked straightening in her chair.

"This one." He said as he held the folio open to the first page.

Kitty smiled inwardly. That was her favourite picture too. It was nice to know it was appreciated by others as well!

"Of course." She said softly. "Anything for my rescuer."

Tom smiled at her, slipping the black and white out of its sleeve, tracing the curve of her corseted waistline to her voluptuous hips in the image.

"Is this the same corset you are wearing tonight?" He asked, yet to take his eyes off the image.

Kitty just smiled coyly at him from beneath her lashes, forcing him to look at her for her response. When he did look over towards her, she merely cocked her head and toyed with her dark curls on her shoulder. Carefully, Tom placed the photo atop the folio and placed it on the table next to the glass of whiskey in front of him. He was lent forward, hands clasped loosely between his knees, frowning slightly as he examined Kitty's face in minute detail. Kitty held his gaze as long as she could, but there was an intensity to his eyes which intimidated her, forcing her to drop her eyes to her hands clasped in her lap. There was a rustle of clothes as he reached into his inner jacket pocket to remove his phone. After a few moments, soft, slow music began playing. Tom stood as Kitty looked up at him, his hand extended towards her.

"Perhaps not the dancing in London you had planned, but still better than no dancing at all?" He queried her.

Kitty placed her glass on the table then slipped her hand into his, uncrossing her legs and carefully drawing herself up, mindful to keep her weight off her injured ankle. He drew her away from the chairs slowly, stopping in the middle of the empty space in the centre of the suite. He took half a step closer to her, making her look up into his eyes. He was a good head taller than she was now she wasn't wearing her heels. He changed the grip on the hand he held and slipped his other arm around her waist, firmly spreading his fingers out across the small of Kitty's back, right on the lacing of her corset, pulling her closer to him again. Kitty rested her hand on that broad shoulder without asking her eyes from his. Slowly he stepped forwards as Kitty stepped back.

'I am dancing with Tom Hiddleston. In my hotel room, no less.' She thought herself dazedly, unable to tear her gaze from his blue grey eyes.

Slowly, they danced, so Kitty could step carefully without hurting herself further. All the while, Tom looked down at her, with that intense focus. Kitty was all too aware of his hand pulling her closer to him, how close it was to her behind, how if he slid his hand down just a few inches...the very thought made her shiver with anticipation. He noticed her shivering and stopped moving, holding her in his arms, he asked.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," Kitty replied. "Just taking in the fact that this is not in fact, some fantastic dream."

He smiled broadly at her, his face crinkling in the most pleasurable way. He let go of her hand, letting it fall onto his other shoulder as his hand moved to her waist, he leant forward, placing his lips next to her ear.

"Dreams aren't half so much fun as real life." He whispered into her ear.

Kitty's knees went weak and she slipped ever so slightly towards the ground. His grip on her waist tightened, supporting her as he took the smallest step forward, so that their bodies were just touching.

Kitty locked her hands together behind the nape of his neck, taking a tiny step closer to him again, moulding her soft body against his muscular frame. Kitty felt Tom breath in the scent of her hair as he lent down to kiss her neck. Kitty tilted her head, allowing him greater access to her skin, closing her eyes to fully concentrate on the pleasure of the moment. Slowly he worked his way down to her collar bone, where he switched sides, travelling up Kitty's slender neck as she rolled her head around and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, standing as tall as she could, so he could reach as much of her as possible. He reached her jaw and stopped, leaning back ever so slightly to look her in the eyes as he wrapped his left arm around her waist, pressing her firmly to him, as his right hand tucked her hair back behind her ear. Cradling the back of her head, Tom lent down slowly to press his lips against hers, Kitty responded, hungrily parting her lips to taste more of him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, eliciting a whimper from her. He nipped playfully at her full, red lower lip, and planted small kisses on the corner of her lips, as she gasped for air. As he placed his lips over hers again, Kitty bit down hard on his bottom lip. Tom made a noise and pulled back from Kitty slightly, taking his hand from her neck to touch his lip, to see if she had drawn blood. Kitty looked up at him hungrily, as he examined his fingertips for a speck of crimson. Not seeing any blood, he looked down into her face to see her pupils dilated and face flushed with desire.

"What was that for?" He asked her, as she moved her hands to rest upon his chest.

"A distraction." She replied quietly as she stepped forward, pressing him to step back until the back of his legs hit the piano stool where Kitty had sat earlier. She kept pressing, forcing him to sit before her. Now she stood between his knees looking down at him, his hands on the seat. She ran her scarlet-tipped nails through his short curly hair, and down the back of his head, where she rested her hands on his shoulders, pressing down on him as she swung her legs up to straddle him, kneeling on him where he sat. Tom looked down at his right hand, resting lightly on her left knee. Kitty's kneeling position meant that her tight purple dress was pulled up high, at mid-thigh level, exposing the tops of her stockings and the garter straps.

Tom ran a finger beneath the strap, raising an eyebrow and smiling up at her with an amused tilt to his head.

"A real pinup, garter, stockings _and_ a corset!" He laughed; as he rested his left hand on her other thigh.

"I strive for authenticity." She said amused as she linked her hands loosely behind his head, gently resting her buttocks on his long legs.

Tom ran his slender fingers from Kitty's knees to the raised hemline of her dress, slipping those elegant fingers just under the edge of her dress, causing her legs to shudder minutely. Slowly she brought her hands around his broad shoulders, grasping his slim tie in her hands as she leisurely loosened the knot and slipped the tie over his head, placing it on the stool next to them. Little by little she unbuttoned his shirt, gradually exposing a small tuft of reddish brown curls on his chest. She tangled her pale fingers in those curls, for a brief moment, feeling his heart beat slow and strong in his chest. Tom looked down at her pale hands as she gently tugged on his shirt, untucking it from his black suit pants. That done, she continued to unbutton his shirt, exposing his muscular chest, inch by inch, savouring the view. Finally, his shirt was completely undone. Kitty slipped her hands over his shoulders, running the sleeves down his toned arms, sliding the shirt to the floor. Kitty looked down at his well-built body, resting her hands on his firm pecs she swallowed hard and breathed heavily, shifting her body, trying to relieve the pressure building up between her legs. She traced the edges of his well defined chest and abs, gently running her long red nails over his dark nipples. Tom reached both hands up to grasp her shoulders firmly from behind, pressing her down firmly into him, causing her to gasp and clutch at his shoulders as she felt his body stiffening beneath her. Kitty sighed with pleasure at the firm way he handled her, looking down into his mesmerizing eyes, as he stretched out to kiss her again.

This time Kitty could feel his hunger for her in the way he bit at her lips, until she parted them, letting him slip his tongue into her mouth. He held her close, pinning her to him as his tongue explored her mouth, one hand straying down to the curve of her buttocks, squeezing her flesh through her dress. Kitty responded with similar enthusiasm, running her hands over his muscular frame, grasping at his well defined arms, then dragging her finger nails down his back, leaving parallel trails as she moaned in pleasure. Tom bit down on her bottom lip as she marked him, making her roll her body forward towards him, crying out silently for him to touch her in more intimate places.

Tom laced his arms together under Kitty's rear as he stood abruptly, holding her in a kneeling position against him as he rose. Kitty squeaked, as she squeezed her thighs against his torso for a moment until her body instinctively, slid against his, her sex resting against his lower abdomen, feeling as though it was aflame as she wrapped her legs around his hips. He walked quickly over to the wall next to the window, carrying her all the while, as she held on to him tightly. Roughly, he pressed her against the cool white wall next to the window, pushing his taut body against hers, forcing her to spread her legs wider, in turn pushing the tight purple dress higher again so it barely covered her modesty. Kitty slipped down the wall slightly as Tom ran one hand up her body. Now Kitty's mound rested against the crotch of his pants, through the various layers of material she could feel his hardness, causing a moan to tear from her throat. His hand found her breast, squeezing gently as he sucked at her earlobe, Kitty's nipple stiffened as his thumb brushed over it through the thick material of her dress. Kitty pushed her chest out, into his hand, frustrated he wasn't touching her bare skin. Moving his mouth to hers, Tom met her tongue with his as his hand shifted from her breast to run up her leg, starting mid-thigh and brushing over the garter straps, pushing her dress up with it as he slipped his fingers beneath the elastic of her satin underwear to dig his fingers into the flesh of her rump, making her moan into his hot kisses.

"Oh god, please." She whimpered, as his lips traveled up her jaw line to her ear again.

Tom planted one last lingering kiss on her lips as he stepped away from the wall to lower Kitty unsteadily to her feet. She looked up at him as his hands rested on her waist.

"Turn around." He whispered to her hoarsely.

Kitty obeyed, turning to face the wall, trembling with anticipation. Gently, his hands traced the sides of her body and across her shoulders, along the neckline of her dress. His hands found the tiny invisible zip in the centre of her dress. With excruciating slowness, he pulled the zipper down its length, only just exposing the top of her leather corset. She had decided to be daring tonight and forgo her bra, it had made her feel deliciously naughty while she was dressing earlier in the evening. Now it seemed like fate had been guiding her hand. Kitty looked back at Tom over her shoulder as he slid his hands down her arms, peeling the elbow length sleeves off her body. Kitty self consciously crossed her arms over her bare breasts as Tom ran his fingertips lightly over her back, unobstructed. She shivered under his touch, as his cool hands ran across her skin. He carefully grasped her dress were it rested on her hips and slowly slid it down, gravity taking care of the dress once it was past her thighs. Kitty stepped backward out of it, stepping into Tom's embrace. His arms encircled her waist, sliding over the soft leather of her corset as she pressed he body back into his. She could feel his firmness pressing into her lower back, twitching as she wiggled her hips. Lightly, he ran his fingertips up her sides, to her arms. He continued to tease her with that gentle touch, avoiding touching anywhere but her arms, raising goose bumps on her skin in his wake. As he ran his hands back down, he gently yet firmly grasped her arms just above her shoulders and tugged softly, freeing her creamy white breasts. He encircled her wrists and pulled them back over her head so that they were resting on the back of his head. Kitty ran her fingers through his hair, as he traced his way back down her arms as he gently kissed her neck again, the sensation of his touch causing her to arch her back into him. He took both of her full breasts in hand, squeezing gently, eliciting a moan from her. His left hand circled her nipple, brushing his thumb over it, causing Kitty's whole body to shudder in pleasure. His right hand strayed down her body, slipping first beneath her garter belt and then beneath her black satin high waisted briefs. His fingertips ghosted over her slit, causing Kitty to clutch at him and roll her body into his hand, desperate for him to delve deeper. He slid one of those slender fingers into her cleft, feeling her already hot and slick with desire, he began rubbing small circles over her clit as he slipped another finger in.

"Oh god." Kitty moaned, her eyes closed and her head thrown back onto Tom's shoulder.

"Do you want more?" He breathed into her ear in that delicious accent, his lips brushing her skin.

"Please, please!" She begged of him.

"Kneel." He ordered in that growly tone he used when playing Loki.

Kitty turned to face him and sank to her knees wordlessly. She had always found that voice irresistible, and to hear it being used in such an intimate situation with the man himself made her absolutely melt with desire.

Tom stood before her, looking down at her. He held her eyes as he slowly undid his black leather belt. Kitty made to undo his shoe laces, but he stepped back away from her.

"No," He murmured quietly. "Undo the garter belt."

He sat on the stool in front of the mirror, his muscles rippling with the movement. He watched as Kitty began undoing each of the straps that held her stockings in place, as he undid his laces and slipped off his socks and shoes. He watched as she twisted around to reach the last strap, running directly down the back of her legs, seeing her breasts silhouetted by the light coming in from the window. Finally, Kitty undid the black belt and placed it behind her on her discarded dress.

Kitty knelt there in front of Tom, in her leather corset, black briefs and stockings. She watched as his eyes drank her in, knowing the image she made, she smiled at him seductively, inviting him to take her.

"Just missing my red rope now." She purred to him, as she pushed her chest out.

His eyes took on a mischievous glint as he reached behind him and held up his slim black tie.

"Well if that's how you like to play." He chuckled, his face crinkling into that broad smile again. "Come closer!"

Kitty stood in one fluid motion and walked over to him slowly, placing one foot in front of the other, causing her hips to sway as she did so. She held her wrists out, lightly crossed over as he gently tied them together, the silk tie whispering over her skin. Tom looked up at her from his seated position, smiling wickedly as he secured her hands. Still smiling up at her, he slid both hands into the waist band of her underwear, slowly slipping them down, stealing a glance at her mons as he undressed her ever so sweetly and slowly, a contrast to the ardour he had demonstrated moments earlier. Kitty trembled as he lowered his lips to her skin just above her hip bone, where her corset finished, sighing with pleasure as he held her by the hips to steady her. He worked his way down her body, stopping just before her cleft, his short wiry beard tickling her oversensitive skin.

"Don't stop, please." She murmured as he took his lips from her skin.

His response was to wrap an arm around her corseted waist and put her over his shoulder as he stood and carried her across the suite into the bedroom proper. He slid her from his shoulder to lie on the bed, arms thrown up above her head. He paused, looking down at the image she made, all pale skin, dark hair and leather, her bright red lips parted as she panted, making her chest heave. She watched him as he slowly undid the button and fly of his suit pants, hooking his thumbs into the waist band of them and his accompanying underwear. Kitty's eyes dropped to his hips, taking in the erect member that was now revealed, nestled in those same coppery curls. Her breath came in short and sharp pants, as Tom stood above her, as comfortable in his nakedness as he was in a suit. Kitty pushed herself further up the bed as he crept up the bed, sinuous, like some jungle cat. Kneeling above her, he pressed one hand to her tied ones as he kissed her sweetly. She felt his right hand on her breast, caressing her, as he transferred that wicked tongue to her nipple causing her to cry out in pleasure. She twisted her hands, eager to grasp him to feel his weight on her, to feel him fill her, but he just pressed her hands more firmly into the bed as he grazed her nipple with his teeth.

Kitty wrapped her legs around his hips, trying to drag him closer, to no avail, still he hovered over her, tracing his lips down her body, slipping out of her legs as he moved down her. As he moved lower, his hands left hers, those elegant fingers dragging over her hypersensitive skin as he kissed her hip. Kitty brought her hands down to grasp his head as he continued to plant his lips on her body, shuddering with pleasure as his thumb flicked over her clit. She felt his beard brush at the top of her thighs, and Kitty's legs fell open, begging for Tom's lips to continue exploring her. Gently, he kissed her, eyes watching her face contort with pleasure. He paused for the briefest of moments, making her look down at him that wicked smile on his teasing lips again. Grabbing her hips, he languorously flicked his tongue over her clit, making her arch her back and cry out. Kitty clenched and unclenched his coppery curls as his tongue slipped between her lips and worked its way up and down her hot slit. Gradually, his movements became faster, causing Kitty to buck and gasp as he brought her to the brink of pleasure. Just before the very height of her pleasure, he stopped, working his lips and hands back up her body, as she trembled beneath him, desperate for release. Finally, he reached her head, delicately kissing her neck, before she looped her bound wrists over his head, bringing his mouth around to hers and tasting herself on his molten lips. Chuckling into her mouth, he pulled her arms up to pin them above her head again.

'Enough'. Thought Kitty to herself, unable to stand any more teasing from him.

Hooking her right leg around his hip, and twisting into him with her shoulder she flipped them, so she was the one on top. His hand still held the tie around her wrists, meaning her face was mere centimetres from his, forcing her to stare into those unfathomable eyes. Tom let go of her bound wrists, resting his hands over her corseted waist as she straightened up, straddling his thighs.

She looked down at this gorgeous man, still unable to believe how her evening had turned out. Slowly, Kitty rocked her hips forward, brushing his firm cock with her sex, causing his hands to tighten on her hips. Still looking down at him, Kitty raised her body with excruciating slowness, until she was high enough that he could guide himself inside her. Kitty let him pierce her, sliding down his shaft a few centimetres, holding herself there as he let out a moan and clutched at her hips. Kitty placed her bound hands on his muscular chest, waiting for him to open his eyes again. When he did, she gave him a devilish smile, looking into his eyes as she inched herself down his length, letting out a sigh as she did so. Slowly, Kitty rolled her body forwards, causing Tom to moan and pull her hips towards him, burying himself deeper in her. Still undulating atop of him, Kitty increased the pace, throwing her head back as she rode him, feeling the pressure build in her, as his hands travelled up her body, reaching for her breasts. Unable to reach them, Tom grabbed the tail of his tie, wrapping his hand around it and pulled it above his head, dragging Kitty with it, so her face was just above his. Quickly, he raised his knees, preventing her from moving away from him as he placed one hand on her lower back, pressing her lower onto him, releasing the tie momentarily so his other hand could brush back the dark wave of curly hair. Those piercing eyes held Kitty as he moved his hips in time with hers, eliciting moans from her, as they moved faster and faster, racing towards climax. Suddenly Tom reached up behind Kitty, as her pleasure began to break over her like a wave, pulling her down onto him by her shoulders, arching his back and closing his eyes as he filled her with his seed.

He held her there for several minutes, her hair brushing across his cheek as he recovered. He opened those lovely eyes, looking into hers, he released his grip on her bonds, allowing her to sit up again and slip him out of her.


	2. Chapter 2

He held her there for several minutes, her hair brushing across his cheek as he recovered. He opened those lovely eyes, looking into hers, he released his grip on her bonds, allowing her to sit up again and slip him out of her.

"Is that thing steel boned?" He questioned her quietly, as he tapped the front plates of her corset.

"Yes!" Kitty said laughing. "Did you not notice?"

"I have been somewhat preoccupied with the lady herself rather than her clothing." He murmured as he stroked her skin.

Kitty smiled at him, as she reached her bound hands out to lie on his chest.

"It does not look terribly comfortable." He said, tracing the boning of the corset.

"You would be surprised." She admitted to him, watching his long fingers trace patterns on the lambskin. "So long as I am not bending into strange positions, I find it very comfortable, and it makes me comfortable in my wiggle dresses and skirts."

Tom reached up from where he lay to slide his fingers beneath the top of the corset to trace the steel plates the length of the corset, his knuckles brushing the underside of her breasts as he worked his way down. Carefully, her wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto him, her head resting on his chest as he stroked the length of her back. Kitty listened to his heartbeat and breathing as she lay with her ear pressed to his defined chest, stroking the small patch of auburn curls on his chest.

"I never thought I would appreciate the consequences of an injury as much as I have tonight." She murmured.

Kitty felt his stomach contract with a small quiet laugh as she turned her head to rest her chin on his ribs, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

"You look like a cat considering her next move, Miss Kitty." He said as he slipped a folded pillow under his broad shoulders so as to look down at her more comfortably. "Actually, what is your real name? I feel as though I have rather poor manners, not knowing it at this stage!"

Kitty raised her eyebrows and shook her head at him, amused.  
"Natasha Kind." She said with a smile.

He raised his head up to look at her, his eyes narrowed slightly with disbelief.

"No, really? That actually is your family name?"

Kitty laughed at his reaction, it was the standard question she got when people learnt her name.

"Yes, Kind, like the virtue, I guess."

"How unusual." He murmured, resting his head back down on the pillow. "Is it English?"

"Scottish, I believe. But Kitty is fine. I feel more myself when I am Kitty, if that makes sense to you."

"Certainly." He replied, stroking her face.

"So, Thomas or Tom?" She questioned him. "Since we are formally introducing ourselves."

"Tom is fine!" He chuckled. "I suppose we did skip that part, didn't we?"

Kitty blushed and pressed her lips to his washboard stomach.

"Can I have my hands back, at least for a few minutes please?" She asked, holding her hands up.

Tom arched that eyebrow with a sly smile at her again as he reached for her wrists. Carefully, he untied them, being sure to kiss her injured wrist for good measure.

"A few minutes then!"

Kitty slipped off the bed and padded over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Quickly, she relieved herself and checked her appearance in the mirror. She slipped on her short black silk robe and slipped out of the bathroom to see his silhouette over by the low table and chairs they had occupied earlier. He had found a towel to wrap around his waist and had the glass of Glenlivet in his hand as he looked down at the portrait of Kitty he had asked for. Kitty paused, taking in the image. His slim build was evident, even when he was dressed, what was less obvious was that he wasn't just slim, but _muscularly slim_. Kitty could see the muscles of his back and arms outlined in the dim coloured light of the Moroccan lamp.

"Your rope." He said quietly.

"Sorry?" She replied, not understanding.

"You said you were just missing your rope. And this is a London photographer, if I'm not mistaken. So that means somewhere here you have that red rope. Am I wrong?" He asked, half turning to look at her, his face unreadable in the shadows.

"No. It's here." She said, her eyes darting briefly to the wardrobe where she had tossed it earlier after the shoot.

"Excellent." He replied softly, sipping the whiskey.

Kitty walked over to the bed and put one foot on it, bending over to roll down her stocking carefully, her hair falling to screen her face. Slowly, she worked the stocking down her pale leg, avoiding tearing the delicate material. She heard the clink of Tom's glass as he set it down on the table. Looking slightly to the side, she saw him approach through her dark curls. Slipping off the stocking, she straightened to look over her shoulder at him. He stood an arm's length away, seemingly evaluating her with those eyes. She blushed and dropped her head again, placing the opposite leg on the bed to remove the other stocking. That done, she raised her gaze again. He still stood there watching her. He extended a hand to her, inviting her closer. Kitty took it and turned to face him, looking up at his chiselled jaw. Without breaking his hypnotic stare, he tugged gently on the sash, the black silk sliding off her body with a sigh. Tom took a half step back to run his eyes lasciviously down and up her body, his view impeded only by the under bust corset she still wore. His fingertips brushed her skin, sending electricity racing along her nerves. He circled her, still running his fingers along her skin, causing Kitty to shiver and gasp quietly. He stepped close in behind her, his fingers running down her arms as he kissed her shoulder. Kitty was revelling in his touch when she felt his teeth graze her skin. He bit the base of her neck, not hard enough to bruise, but hard enough to cause her to flinch and moan. Kitty reached back and grasped his solid thighs, drawing him close to her, pressing herself back as he continued to nip at her. One arm snaked around her waist, holding her against him as he switched to her other side, alternating kisses with bites on all of her that he could easily reach.

"Where is it?" He whispered into her ear between kisses.

"The...shelf. Wardrobe." She panted, digging her red nails into the towel wrapped tightly around his legs.

"Don't move." He whispered, kissing her just below her ear as he drew away, leaving her standing in the middle of the darkened room, chest heaving as she tried to calm herself before whatever came next.

She heard him open the wardrobe door and retrieve the rope. She became aware of his presence at her back by the heat that emanated from his body. He gently drew her arms behind her back, crossing her wrists over, ensuring the injured one was behind the other. Kitty turned to look back over her shoulder, watching his muscular arms and chest move as he gently and firmly knotted the rope.

He looked into her pale face, "Is this to your taste, Kitty?" he queried her quietly.

"Oh yes." She breathed, feeling the silk rope slip over the soft skin of her forearms. "On so many levels!"

"Excellent." He murmured, weaving the rope between her arms, and knotting it at regular intervals, drawing her arms back further, making her breasts push forward.

He continued until the rope was as high as her elbows, then he began wrapping the rope about her torso, expertly knotting it so that it made diamond shapes on her corset, all the while standing behind her, looking down over her shoulder at his handiwork.

"Shibari!" Kitty exclaimed surprised, turning to look up at Tom hovering over her shoulder.

"Kinbaku." He replied firmly, correcting her as he looked down into her astonished face. His eyes flicked back to her torso where he continued periodically tying knots and binding her arms to her body, running the crimson rope between her breasts and over her shoulders. Kitty looked down to examine his handiwork, the rope cinched her already drawn in waist, making graceful patterns on her skin and corset, before elegantly drawing the eye upward to her breasts and long neck. "Turn around." He commanded in that voice like polished crystal. Kitty turned, he still held the end of the rope in one hand as he tilted his head to the side and evaluated his skill. "Lovely." He murmured, his eyes flicking to hers as he followed the path of the rope between her pale breasts, teasing her with his slim fingers. "Come along." He murmured, tugging on the rope gently as he led her over to the piano stool. She stood there in front of the stool, looking at his angular face in the dresser mirror. His eyes were unreadable as he devoured the image he had created. "Kneel." He whispered to her again as he bent to wrap his long arms around her waist, lifting her up to place her kneeling on the stool. Kitty did so, kneeling with her posterior on the cushion of the stool and felt him step closer so he was standing between her open ankles. Kitty watched fascinated as he took the rope ends from over her shoulders and knelt, wrapping the rope around her legs, binding her ankles to her thighs, making her unable to close her legs. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other to allow him to slip the rope beneath her legs as he moved around her, intent on his design. He took his time, making sure the periodic knots were symmetrical, that the binding was not too tight or too loose, slipping his fingers between the rope and her skin to be sure. Finally he was done, he stood slowly and stepped back, circling her to examine his handiwork. Kitty could do nothing but watch him as he took her in from every angle. Occasionally, he reached out to brush her skin lightly, to tuck her hair behind her ear again, to trace her jaw, or the curve of her breast. Kitty could see the bulge of his stiffening cock beneath the towel her wore as he stopped to stand behind her once again.

He turned away for a moment and returned with the glass of whiskey, draining it as he approached her again. He held the empty glass in his hand as he evaluated Kitty with a critical eye. He reached into his glass and took out one of the ice cubes, before placing the glass on the dresser. Slowly, he trailed the ice up her arms and out across her shoulder, then down her torso.He circled the ice around her nipple causing her areola to harden and her whole body to shiver. She gasped at the touch of the cold to such a sensitive place, as he ran the cube across her body to the other breast, leaving a trail of droplets in its wake that slowly trickled down her burning skin. Kitty shuddered as his fingertips grazed her skin as the ice melted away completely, struggling to keep her balance and her eyes locked with his as he stoked the fire within her once more.

The ice gone, he slipped the towel from his hips and bent to wrap his arms around Kitty, lifting her as he stepped over the stool and sat down, placing her on his thighs, so she could feel the weight of his erect cock pressing into her lower back. He stared into her eyes in the mirror as his slender hands ran over her body. Kitty moaned and closed her eyes, rolling her head back onto his chest. His lips found hers and he kissed her deeply as his hands squeezed her breasts, making her breath catch in her throat. Kitty arched her back, pressing her ass into his rock hard member, begging for him to enter her.

"Look at me, darling." He whispered taking his lips from hers.

Kitty straightened her head and watched his face in the mirror. He lifted her slightly and pressed the head of his cock at her entrance, watching the expressions play over her face as he entered her with excruciating slowness. She panted, trying to concentrate on making her body relax to accommodate him again. She cried out and threw her head back as he slid his entire length inside her, her legs shaking, hands clenching as he watched on. He didn't move for a few moments, giving her a chance to catch her breath. Finally, she met his eyes. A wicked glint entered her eyes as she said to him:

"Don't move now."

Tom felt her muscles wrap around his cock and travel up his length while she managed to sit mostly stationary in his lap. He moaned as she began rolling her body in time with her tightening upon him. He gripped the rope around her hips and leant back, letting her take him deeper inside her.

Kitty watched as he closed his eyes and moaned in pleasure. She refused to speed up, despite his insistent tugging on the rope about her hips. Eventually, his hand snaked down and began rubbing her clit, making her shake as her climax approached. Alternating between fast and slow, he stroked her velvet slit, as she undulated on him.

"Oh God!" She cried out as she climaxed, her orgasm making her muscles spasm and ripple as her entire body shook. Kitty's muscles tightening around him pushed Tom over the edge, using his grip on her hips, he slammed her down, driving himself deep into her as he came deep within her.

They both sat there panting, his arms wrapped around her waist and his face pressed to her back as they caught their breath, Kitty's body still trembled as she raised her head. He sat there, resting his chin on her shoulder, watching her with those expressive blue eyes, still buried within her.

"Beautiful." He murmured, kissing her on the shoulder without breaking eye contact.

Kitty turned her head to look him directly in the eyes, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

"Perfection." She replied simply, meaning it.

He smiled down at her and kissed her sweetly for several moments before pulling away slightly.

"Kitty-Natasha. Could I see you again while you are here in London please?" He asked quietly.

Kitty studied his face, as it was, she was pleased to have just met Tom Hiddleston, let alone have made love with him. Only ever in her wildest dreams had she imagined anything more.

"Of course." She replied. "You know where to find me now, come by any time."

He smiled in that wonderful way, his eyes crinkling in genuine pleasure as he kissed her once more, holding her tightly. At length, he sighed and said:

"I should let you go, I suppose."

"Well, I'm not getting out of this myself." She replied with a wry smile, as she flexed her fingers.

Tom stood, lifting her with him, and slid out of her as he turned to place her back on the stool before he set to work untying the many knots holding her immobile. After he undid the last knot and slipped the rope from her arms, he slipped her black robe over her shoulders. As Kitty stretched her legs to make sure they hadn't fallen asleep, he wrapped the discarded towel around his hips. He returned to her side, offering her his hand to pull her to her feet. Kitty took his hand and stood, placing the other hand on his shoulder as she looked up at him again.

"We never did get to finish our dance!" He teased. "Perhaps I could take you out dancing?"

"That sounds amazing." Kitty admitted to him. "Although I should tell you that my skills are fairly rudimentary."

Tom smiled at her impishly:

"Maybe I need to come and give you lessons?"

Kitty shook her head and smiled. "How could I say no?"

Tom laughed and stepped forwards, dipping Kitty. She gasped and clung to him as he held her there, one arm around her waist, perfectly comfortable looking down at her with amusement written all over his face as she looked worriedly over her shoulder at the ground some distance away. She looked back into his face, lit up with mischief as he kissed her gently on the nose.

"See, practice makes perfect, darling." He said to her with that devilish grin as he straightened them both to standing again.

"Wicked man." She muttered to herself.

Tom chuckled as he set about gathering his clothes discarded about the room. Kitty sat at the small table, sipping her well-watered down whiskey as she watched him get dressed, that taut body disappearing slowly to be covered by his elegant suit. Finally dressed as he had been earlier, minus his tie, Tom found a piece of paper next to the bed and wrote something down. As he approached, Kitty stood, accepting the paper he held out. She looked down at the slip of paper, on it in an elegant scrawl was his phone number.

"Let me know when you are free." He said smiling at her. "Or when you need a dancing lesson!"

"Thank you." She replied, resting one hand on his chest as she reached up to kiss him again.

He met her lips, cupping her face with one of his large hands. He drew back slightly, brushing his thumb across her cheek as she blushed.

He stepped away, picking up the photograph he had picked out earlier, tucking it into his jacket as he made his way to the door. He lingered with his hand resting on the handle as he turned back and flashed that disarming smile at her once more before he stepped out the door, leaving Kitty standing alone in her suite.

"Oh my God!" Kitty exclaimed quietly to herself, as she sat heavily.

What a turn her night had taken! She could never imagine it would have ended like this. She knocked back the last of the whiskey in her glass, and set about unlacing her corset. Now that Tom was gone, she realised how drained she was. She slipped the corset off and hung it over the back of her chair.

She made her way to the bathroom and ran a hot shower, running her hands over her bare skin, remembering how it had felt when they were his hands. She finished up and towelled herself off, slipping into a short black satin night gown. As she arranged the pillows on the bed to her liking, a long piece of material fell to the floor. Tom's black silk tie. She picked it up, and brought it to her nose, it smelled like him, musky with notes of citrus. Kitty slipped into bed, the tie wrapped around her hand that lay on the pillow next to her pale face. A small smile played on her lips, as she drifted off to sleep while breathing in his delicious scent.


	3. Chapter 3

Kitty juggled the bags in her hands so as to type the code into the keypad on the door. She leant on the handle with one arm, and pushed forwards, shoving the door open. She headed straight to the bed, depositing the many bags she had acquired throughout the day. The room was dark for some reason, 'housekeeping must have shut the curtains' thought Kitty absentmindedly. Kitty looked down at all the bags on her bed in the dim light, trying to decide what she would wear out first. Kitty reached for the knot over her left hip that tied up her blouse, undoing it. She slipped the satin top off and threw it on the bed, wriggling her feet out of her ballet flats at the same time. She then bent down, sliding the wide leg 1940's trousers off into a puddle on the floor. Kitty stretched as she straightened and ran a hand over one of her newest acquisitions. The sheer dove grey French knickers and a matching bra, trimmed with white satin. They were from a London based company who had an eye for detail and quality when it came to retro lingerie and she had bought them yesterday, loving the way they were both modest and sexy. Running her hand up her body reminded her of that spectacular night three days ago, when Tom Hiddleston had ravaged her in this very room. She let out a breathy sigh as she ran her fingertips lightly across her breast, recalling his touch, the exquisite ways in which he had given her pleasure, her hands clenching on her flesh at the vivid memory.

Kitty had sent him a message the following morning, not caring if she came off as being too keen. Life was too short to waste time, especially when there were as interesting people as Tom Hiddleston in her life! He had responded fairly quickly, asking her if she was interested in dinner sometime soon. Spectacular.

Behind her, someone cleared their throat, interrupting her reverie. Suddenly aware she was not alone, Kitty half turned, her hand reaching up to her antique velvet hat secured with a long, sharp hat pin. She slid the slender pin out and hid it behind her body in the same smooth movement as she turned to see who had been watching her. Sitting where he had been several nights previously was Tom Hiddleston again. He was much more casually dressed in dark jeans and a blue button up shirt with the top few buttons undone, revealing that patch of curling red-brown hair on his chest. He had a self-conscious grin on his face as he leant forwards, elbows resting on his spread knees.

Kitty stayed as she was, side on to him, the sharp pin pressing into her forearm. She was all too aware that she stood in nothing more than sheer lingerie and a hat, but right now she had other things on her mind, like how it was Tom had come to be in her room so unexpectedly.

"Tom! What are you doing in here? Actually, how did you get in here?" She asked, relaxing slightly.

"2452." He replied, raising an eyebrow as he quoted the door code to her. "Also, I distinctly remember you telling me I was welcome to come back anytime."

"You know, I did kind of mean when I was here already, not for you to sneak in and watch me undress. Here I thought you were supposed to be the perfect gentleman." She replied dryly, raising an eyebrow of her own at him.

"I meant to say something as soon as you came in, but then you started undressing and I got distracted." He said, standing and coming closer to her. "This is absolutely lovely." He murmured, gesturing to her new lingerie as he slowly stepped within arm's reach.

"That doesn't get you off the hook for scaring me, you know." She said looking up into his eyes as she turned full on to face him.

He stopped short when he saw the slender pin she had been concealing from him in her right hand, now dangling loosely between her fingers. Kitty followed his gaze and raised the pin, pulling her hat off with her other hand, she pushed the pin back through the hat again and met his eyes once more.

"Pays to be prepared." She shrugged. "You never know who you will meet. Even in your hotel room, it would seem!"

Tom smiled at that.

"Sorry. I didn't want to stand around in the hallway and I wanted to surprise you."

"Consider me surprised, then!" She laughed, resting one hand on her hip.

He drew closer to her, snaking one long arm around her waist drawing her closer to kiss her gently.

"Do you have plans for tonight?" He whispered into her ear.

"Ah. Um, nothing really." She mumbled as he kissed her neck.

"How does dinner sound?" He murmured in between kisses.

"Wonderful." She breathed as she tangled her fingers in those curls.

"Excellent." He said crisply pulling away.

Kitty opened her eyes and looked into his eyes, mischief written all over that angular face. She narrowed her eyes and turned away, walking slowly over to her wardrobe, feeling his eyes caress her curves as she picked out a black wrap dress with a wide circle skirt. She slid her arms in the elbow length sleeves and wrapped the dress about herself, settling the neckline low enough to show off some cleavage and tied the belt up. She picked out a pair of bright red patent pumps and slipped them on. She turned to face Tom, he still stood there casually with his hands in his pockets, legs spread wide, watching her with that self-satisfied smile on his face. She retrieved her handbag from the mess on the bed and stood in front of him again, this time, she was only a few centimetres short of looking him in the eyes.

"Where are you taking me, _sir_?" She asked of him playfully.

He raised an eyebrow at her inflection, and offered her his arm like some gallant gentleman of old as he escorted her to the door.

"Somewhere different."

She rolled her eyes heavenward and shook her head with an exasperated smile as she wrapped a hand around his proffered arm and walked out of the room.

He took her to a small restaurant hidden in the back alleys of London, Kitty walked slowly, trying to take in the history of the neighbourhood, as he pointed out local landmarks. Over dinner he asked about her life, what was her family like, her childhood, how much of Australia and the world she had seen. Kitty avoided talking about her work, knowing she could bore people who didn't have an interest in history, but he questioned her about her work regarding the Catholic cathedral in the town she lived in, surprising her by asking insightful questions. Kitty in turn asked him about his life, trying to avoid the clichéd questions he had likely heard many times before. He lit up when she tentatively asked about his passion for Shakespeare, happy to dissect the works when Kitty admitted to not having much of an understanding of Shakespeare's works.

The night sped past as they discussed everything over good food and good wine. They left the restaurant and sat by the Thames, enjoying the intellectual company of one another, debating the best examples of classical Greek sculpture. He made her laugh often with his analogies of things, and the roundabout way in which he explained and answered things.

The conversation eventually dwindled away, leaving them sitting side by side looking out at the cityscape of London at night. Kitty sighed, a wistful smile on her face.

"I will be sad to go home, London is such a beautiful city, she has so much history that I haven't seen yet. Plus you meet the most interesting people." She said as she smiled up into Tom's face.

"How long are you here for?" He questioned, wrapping one arm about her shoulders.

Kitty leant into him, unthinkingly, before answering.  
"Another week and a half, I have more research to do. And if I have the chance, I have to get to the British Museum."

"It's a wonderful place." He said.

"Don't tease me!" She moaned covering her ears.

"Where's the fun in that?" He laughed, trailing one long hand down her arm to her lap to wrap around her waist and slide her closer to him.

Kitty snuggled back into his warmth, letting that musk-citrus scent of his waft over her.

"What did you do with that picture, may I ask?" She enquired, tilting her head to look at him sidelong.

"I put it on the wall of my sitting room." He replied nonchalantly.

"You didn't." She replied, astonished, breaking his hold to turn and face him.

"I did!" He insisted. "Everyone has said what a fantastic shot it is, with the play of light and shadow, not to mentioned the 'Woman in Red' herself as they have dubbed you."

"How many people have seen it in the three days since you have had it? And who is 'everyone?'" She demanded of him, dazed. "On second thoughts, I don't want to know, don't tell me!"

She settled back into his arms, her fingertips pressed to her lips as she tried to take in the information.

Tom laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"Just some close friends, they all saw it as the art it was intended to be, don't worry, darling!"

Kitty shook her head, saying:

"I didn't think you would actually put it up anywhere, you know!"

"Of course I did, beautiful art is meant to be admired! You wouldn't hide the sculptures of Aphrodite just because of her nakedness, would you?"

"The two are hardly comparable." She reasoned.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He lectured her.

Kitty gave up, and asked him about his travels around the world, listening to him tell her about the shenanigans he got up to with his co-stars and friends, laughing as he recounted the story of Natalie Portman punching him in the face, repeatedly, for Thor 2.

Eventually, Kitty had to call it a night, blaming her early start and long day of shopping for her tiredness. Tom wrapped her in his coat and kept his arm around her as he walked her back to her hotel room. He slipped the coat off of her at her door as she stood there with one hand poised on the handle, looking into those unfathomable blue-grey eyes.

"I have to work for the next few days, so I won't be able to see you for a while, sadly." He said, standing close to her.

"Would you care to come in now, then?" She asked with a wicked smile.

He stepped forwards slightly, and gripped her upper arms tightly and kissed her deeply, pressing her back into the door, crushing her body with his. He took her breath away with the ferocity of his embrace, as she parted her lips, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth.

After a moment, he stepped back, holding his coat in front of him to screen the bulge in his pants from any onlookers.

"I would love to, however, I have an early start to look forward to tomorrow." He said. "But I will definitely see you again before you leave, Kitty."

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers as he stepped away. Kitty watched him go, smiling back at him as he beamed at her as he stepped into the elevator.

Kitty sighed and let herself into her room. She kicked off her shoes and cleared the bed of her purchases. That man was truly intoxicating, it burned her that she would have to wait to have him inside of her again. Although, she had to admit, it had been lovely getting to know him as an actual person, and not just as a distant celebrity. Who knew he was such a normal person and had such a sharp intellect?

Kitty spotted his black tie neatly folded by the lamp beside the bed. She should really give that back to him. Or maybe not, she smiled to herself. After all, he had a memento of her, maybe she would keep this one of him!

 _More 'interesting' chapters to follow soon!_


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Kitty was typing up a report, sipping her tea as she tried to concentrate on her work and not on the smiling image of Tom that met her every time she gazed off into the distance. There was a short sharp knock at the door, startling her. She set down her tea and walked over to the door. She opened it to be greeted by a large bunch of blue orchids, and the young man who had helped her carry her bags up last week, Ben.

"Flowers came for you, Miss Kind." He said, handing them over with a smile.

"Thanks, Ben." She replied.

Kitty closed the door and put the flowers on the low coffee table, spotting a small white envelope in the vibrant foliage as she did so. Unfolding the card, she saw that same elegant scrawl from several nights ago. Tom's handwriting.

 _"_ _For where thou art, there is the world itself,_

 _And where thou art not, desolation"_

It was a quote from Shakespeare's Henry IV, signed with his initials, _TWH_. Kitty's cheeks flushed. It was a bold statement, the implications of which electrified her. Kitty left the flowers on the low table, but carried the card over to her small desk, propping it up in the keyboard of her laptop. She picked up her phone and dialled his number, holding her breath as it rang. It went to his voicemail, and she left a breathless message, thanking him for the beautiful flowers. She stared at the flowers as though they held some answer to the man who had sent them, trying not to let her imagination run away without her. Eventually, she shook herself out of her reverie and turned back to the desk, determined to finish the reports. The day flew by and she managed to finish the reports and assessments, and went out to pick up an early dinner before sitting down again to plan out her appointments and plans for the next few days.

The following days flew past for Kitty, a whirlwind of meeting people and interviews and reports. Kitty sat up until at least midnight most nights, trying to finish as much as she could while it was all still fresh in her mind. Only at night when she wasn't engrossed and buried in her work did Tom return to haunt her, leaving her waking up in sweat soaked sheets, frustrated and desperately craving the sweet release he had given her.

It was Sunday morning, and Kitty had given herself permission to have her last few days in London off. The reports that needed to be done were finally done; she had stayed up until nearly 3am to get it all out of the way. So the knocking on the door at 7.30am was most unwelcome when it came. It took her a few moments to realise what had woken her, so deep in sleep she had been. She dragged herself out of bed, not bothering to throw on a robe and staggered over to the door clad in her short black satin night dress, her long dark hair a curling mess. She scrabbled at the door, and opened it a crack, squinting up at whoever was kind enough to interrupt her sleep. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, but she realised she was looking up into the grinning face of Tom. She stared at him for a moment, puzzled, before pulling the door open further wordlessly and turning to head to the kitchenette to put the kettle on. She needed caffeine. He shut the door after himself and followed her to the small kitchen, holding up a paper bag.

"Croissants!" He said with that radiant smile.

"Oh god, why are you so pleased to be alive this early?" She moaned, hating him for being so awake when she felt so awful.

"Late night?" He asked her, concerned, placing the croissants on the bench.

"Reports." She said, flapping a hand at the books and papers littering the floor and desk across the room. "Done now, thankfully. By the way, thank you for the flowers again, they are truly lovely."

He face lit up with a smile.

"I'm so pleased you like them."

Kitty was looking down at herself, awake enough to realise her night dress was not really the best choice of clothing in terms of modesty and said to him:

"Make me a cup of Scottish Breakfast tea and I might forgive you for waking me up so early."

She moved to walk past him to get her robe, but he snagged her about the waist and kissed her forehead. Kitty blushed and slipped out of his hold. She found the robe and put it on and turned to find Tom putting the croissants on a plate, a pot of tea steeping beside it on the low table in the middle of the suite. Kitty sat and devoured one of the pastries, while Tom poured out the tea.

"So if you're done with work, does this mean you're free for the day?"

"Yes." She replied, breathing in the peaty scent of the tea.

"No plans then?" He asked innocently.

"Not as such." She replied, looking across at him, her curiosity piqued. "Why, what do you have in mind?"

"A surprise." He said cheerfully, that wide smile on his expressive face.

Kitty shook her head, not awake enough yet to question him. She asked him about what he had been up to the past few days, and half listened to his responses, as she watched his hands and lips. She smiled at his enthusiasm for the simple things in life, as he told her about the sunrise he had watched break through the fog surrounding London, he had such an optimistic view of the world, it was infectious.

Finally, Kitty finished her tea and breakfast and stood.

"I need a quick shower before I go anywhere today, would you mind waiting for me? I won't be too long" She asked, as she rummaged through her clothes for something clean.

"Certainly, darling." He replied, gathering up the cups and plate.

Kitty made her way into the bathroom, setting down her clothes on the small bench. A wicked thought crossed her mind, and she glanced out into the suite. Tom was busy washing the few dishes, with his back to her. She started the shower, making sure the water was warm, and shrugged the robe off and slipped out of her night dress, leaving the bathroom door open in invitation. She turned her back to the door, and stepped under the water, letting it course over her body, warming her all over. She picked up the soap and began scrubbing herself, head to toe, enjoying the fresh, clean scent. She turned her face up into the water, letting the soap drain from her body.

"You could join me, you know." She said, sensing someone standing behind her, her face still turned up into the water, eyes closed. She guessed by now he would have noticed the open door and was somewhere nearby.

She looked over her shoulder to see him resting against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his body, a hungry look in his eyes. No trace of that charming smile remained, as he devoured her naked form with his eyes. After another moment of watching the water cascade down her back, he stepped forwards, pulling his woollen jumper over his head, messing up his pushed back hair. Quickly, he discarded the rest of his clothes and opened the shower door. Kitty turned to face him, and stepped back, so there was some space between them, however small. They stood there for a moment, Kitty looking up into his eyes, a wicked grin on her face. He was already erect as he drew her towards him, pressing her body to his so she felt his hardness pressing against to stomach. She was a good head shorter than him, and so stretched up on her tip toes to meet his kiss, hard and unforgiving as it was. He slipped his tongue past her lips, causing her to gasp, and claw at his back. He groaned into her mouth, pressing her back against the wall, hitching her leg up over his hip as he kissed her deeply. As he clenched his hand on her thigh, she bit his lip. He pulled away from her and bent down, picking her up, so her head was level with his, allowing him to look her in the eyes as he pressed her back into the cool tiles of the wall, pressing his body between her legs, his cock resting against her clit.

Kitty gasped and pressed herself down, desperate to feel him filling her, as she wrapped her hands around his neck, drawing his lips back to hers. He rubbed his length along her clit, eliciting moans from her, until he finally pressed himself into her velvet folds. Kitty rolled her head back and moaned as he slowly slid into her wet slit. His strokes were long and slow, filling her to her core, causing her to gasp with every thrust. Slowly, he sped up, grunting as he pushed harder and harder into her, until with one final thrust he was spent, groaning into her shoulder. Kitty rested her forehead on his shoulder as he caught his breath, tracing the outline of his muscles of his back, as she simply enjoyed the sensation of having this man within her.

After a few moments, he lowered her to the ground, kissing her softly and sweetly as he held her in his muscled arms. Eventually, he let her go, sighing. Kitty reached for the soap and turned him around, soaping his shoulders and working down, then reaching around his torso to soap his abs. He caught her hand and took the soap from her to continue washing himself, whilst Kitty squeezed the water from her hair.

"Would you like a hand?" Came his playful voice.

"No, thank you." She laughed. "I think you have helped enough already!"

He handed her the soap and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a fresh towel to dry himself with while Kitty finished up. He had managed to get his pants back on by the time she stepped out of the shower, but was struggling to get his hair to lay as it had before his impromptu shower. Kitty watched him, bemused, as she dried herself. Finally, he gave up, and kissed her as he slipped out of the bathroom while Kitty proceeded to dress. She emerged from the bathroom in a high waisted black wiggle skirt with a red top tucked into it, her hair slicked back into a bun. She walked over to the bed and sat down to zip up her knee high black leather boots. She stood and caught sight of Tom, staring at her from across the suite where he sat at the table.

"What?" She asked, curious as to why he was watching her. "Are you going to tell me I look like a librarian? That's the one I hear the most!"

"No librarians I've ever met wear knee high leather boots!" He laughed. "But maybe they should, I feel like more people would be visiting the library then!"

Kitty stuck her tongue out at him as she returned to the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on her lipstick. She emerged and stood in front of him, still seated, with her hands on her hips.

"Am I appropriately dressed for whatever this surprise is?" She asked.

"Almost!" He smiled as he stood.

He slipped his long fingers in the pocket of his pants and drew out a small box. He opened it, revealing an antique marcasite brooch in the shape of a fern leaf. He slipped his slender fingers inside her shirt, securing the brooch over her left breast. Kitty looked down, admiring the elegant curve of the brooch as he straightened it. She looked up into his face, a little lost for words.

"Thank you." She managed weakly. "It's lovely."

His smiled broadened as he leant down to kiss her again. He broke away after a moment, tugging on her hand.

"Come on, let's go!"

Kitty smiled and scooped up her handbag as he whisked her out of her suite and down to the car park. He escorted her to a nondescript black sedan with tinted windows, opening the passenger door for her. He closed her door and came around to the driver's side, easing his long legs into the foot well. He turned to her, offering her a blindfold.

"Really?" She laughed. "I hardly know London at all, you know!"

"Conditions of the surprise." He grinned at her.

Kitty turned away from him and let him tie the blindfold over her eyes. She heard him start up the car and felt them move out into the street. She turned this way and that, listening to the traffic, not even sure what direction they were going it. A hand reached out to touch hers, and she jumped, not expecting contact.

"Sorry." She said to her right. "Someone thought it would be fun to blindfold me."

She heard him chuckle and felt his long fingers slide into her hand. While they travelled, Tom quizzed her on what she had been up to since he had seen her last. Kitty excitedly discussed the ideas she had come up with over the last few days for her church preservation project, asking his opinion. She listened to his measured replies, reminded once again that he was truly intelligent and educated and not just some movie star.

Finally, he took his hand from hers and parked the car. He slipped the blindfold from her eyes carefully and smiled at her as she squinted in the light to see where they were. Just a car park, so far. She looked over at him, curious.  
"It's just up the street." He replied to her quizzical look, getting out of the car.

He came around and opened her door, extending a hand to help her swing her legs out and stand. He had donned a baseball cap and a large pair of clear glasses, altering his appearance slightly.

"I find I don't get recognised as much wearing this." He shrugged. "Not that I mind meeting fans, they are truly lovely, but sometimes I just want to spend time with one person."

Kitty blushed slightly, and said with a dead pan face:

"Incognito. I completely understand. I do the same thing in Australia, hardly any of my fans recognize me when I wear what I think of as 'civilian' clothes either. Jeans are such excellent camouflage."

He looked at her, bemused, before she laughed and shook her head at him.

"I have to admit, you probably have more fans than I do, though. But I am building a fan base here in London. Or at least my photographs are. So I am told."

He laughed at her bravado, offering her his arm as they walked up the street. They turned a corner and were faced with a huge classical building reminiscent of a Roman temple. Kitty stopped dead, staring at the imposing structure.

"Are you serious? The British Museum? Oh my God!" She practically bounced as she pulled Tom along. He laughed at her exuberance, barely widening his stride to keep pace with her.

They spent the day perusing through the exhibits, Kitty reverently examining everything, telling Tom some of the more curious facts about some of the artefacts that were not typically well known. The smile never left his face as he watched her move from one object to the other. He slipped his hand into hers as she gazed up at the Parthenon friezes, enjoying the look of rapture on her face.

Finally, mid-afternoon, they left. Kitty had images of the wonders she had seen burnt into her mind. She turned to him as they reached his car again, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek, she said:

"Thank you. That was the best surprise I could imagine! I hope you weren't bored."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her towards him, kissing her softly on her lips, saying:

"I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And don't worry, I wasn't bored, I may have been there before, but I had never heard half of those little facts you had!"

Kitty smiled and kissed him again.

He let her go and opened her door for her, shutting it after she settled herself and walked around to the driver's side. He turned the car over and looked over at her and asked:

"How does dinner sound?"

She turned to him and smiled surprised.

"Little early isn't it?"

"Oh I don't mean here, I meant somewhere little fancier." He laughed.

"Am I allowed to know where beforehand?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Where's the fun in that?" He replied. "However, we may be under dressed. How about we go back to your hotel to get changed?"

"Ok..." She said slowly, still trying to puzzle out what the mystery was here.

He smiled and drove them back to her hotel, taking a suit bag out of the boot of his car when they arrived.

Kitty stood in front of her wardrobe, frowning. With no idea (again) of where they were going, she wasn't sure what to wear. Tom lay his suit bag on the bed and came over, looking over her shoulder.

"Black tie." He said simply.

She looked up at him, trying to read his face, but he gave nothing away. She turned back to her wardrobe and picked out a knee length one shoulder dress. It was one designed by Dita Von Teese, called the 'Follow me' dress, made from black silk chiffon. Kitty disappeared into the bathroom to shower and do her hair and makeup, emerging after a mere thirty minutes. Practically a miracle for her, but then, she did not want to keep him waiting. She wore her stockings again, held up by the black garter, and an old fashioned long line black bustier under her dress, more treasures found while shopping in London.

He was tucking a something into his suit bag as she walked over to the wardrobe to find her red pumps. She turned to see him running his eyes up and down her form. She admired him in turn, looking terribly debonair in a black suit and bow tie, black satin trimming the lapels of the suit.

"Alright?" She said, twirling, making the gauzy material flare out.

"Sublime." He said, catching her in an embrace.

Kitty smiled to see that she didn't have to look up as far to see his beautiful eyes. She turned away to find her jewellery and slipped on her fake pearl necklace and studs and turned back to him.

"Ready, I think!"

"You will want a coat, darling, it gets cold here." He said, as he ducked into the bathroom to adjust his tie.

Kitty retrieved a long black coat trimmed with faux fur from her wardrobe and draped it over her arm. She turned to find him zipping up his bag, smiling at her as he picked up her hand bag and took her hand to walk her down to the car again. Once more, he opened the door and helped her into the car before slipping into the vehicle beside her, putting the bags on the back seat.

"Are you going to tell me where we are off to now?" She asked.

He just smiled at her, infuriating in his silence. At least this time he didn't blindfold her, so she looked around as they drove. After some time they arrived in the port of Dover. Kitty looked around interested, but Tom kept driving. He drove straight onto a large ferry actually, pointedly ignoring Kitty staring at him as he wound down a window to talk to someone, before parking the car alongside a silver sedan.

Finally, he turned to face her, still staring at him.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"This is a ferry to France. Like, to another country." She said quietly, completely stunned.

"That's the idea." He laughed.

"Tom, this is too much, really. The Museum was wonderful, the brooch is gorgeous, you don't have to take me to France! For dinner!" She ended on a squeak, her voice deserting her.

"Dinner and dancing." He corrected her with that charming smile.

Kitty's red lips fell open, overwhelmed with the situation, unsure of what to say. Tom just chuckled at her flabbergasted state.

Finally, Kitty found her voice:

"This is terribly intimidating, you know." She said weakly. "And very fast!"

Tom looked at her, all seriousness for a change, and took her hand in his.

"That's true." He said quietly. "But since you're only here for such a short period of time I thought we had better make the most of it. How often do you get the chance to go to dancing in Paris? I know I don't often get the chance to go dancing with someone as interesting and lovely as you."

Kitty managed to raise a querulous eyebrow at him, not buying that he couldn't ask just about any woman to go to Paris with him and have them say yes. Tom shook his head, guessing what was going through her mind.

"I don't have much time to myself these days," He murmured, looking into her eyes. "I like to spend what time I have to myself with people and friends I truly enjoy being with rather than strangers. It was such a pleasure today to take you to the museum and see you so happy, truly enjoying life in the moment. It would be my utmost pleasure to make you that happy for this evening too."

Kitty fell silent, looking down at his long, slender fingers in her pale hand, taking in everything he had said. It did make sense, she was only here for a few more days, and today had easily been one of the best she had had in a long time. Finally she raised her eyes to his, blushing at the intense way he was looking at her.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

He raised her hand to his lips, kissing it, before breaking into his wide smile again.

"I still can't dance very well though, you know!" She said to lighten the mood.

"The ferry takes over an hour, plenty of time to practice!" He laughed. "Come on, darling!" He climbed out of the car and came around to help her out, slipping her coat over her shoulders to ward off the bracing sea breeze. He led her over to the railing, deserted as people had wandered upstairs to get a hot drink.

"Be with you in just a moment." He said.

He walked down the ferry a little way and pulled out his phone. He dialled a number and began speaking in French after a few moments. Kitty turned and looked at the famous white cliffs of Dover, still trying to take in the fact that this wonderful man was taking her to Paris for the evening! She shook her head, smiling, still not sure it wasn't a dream.

"Ready?" Came his voice from behind her.

"Not in the least!" She replied, turning to face him. "But carry on, anyway!"

Over the next hour, he went over a basic waltz with her, patiently taking her through the steps until she was comfortable, holding her out so she could twirl elegantly away and back to him, and smoothly step back into the rhythm. They danced along the railing, enjoying the movement and each other's company. Finally, the port of Calais in sight, Tom twirled her one last time and drew her close to dip her down again, running his hand down her back as he did so. She laughed brightly as he brought her back up to meet him, flushed with success. He smiled broadly to see her so happy, taking pleasure in making her smile.

"Come on, almost time to go." He said to her, still holding her in a dance frame.

She looked out across the water to the shores of France, the late afternoon sun gilding her skin. She looked back at him smiling.

"This is amazing, going to another country for dinner!" She said excitedly. "I wish I lived in Europe, everything is so much closer here! Australia is so much of the same from one place to another. Here, everything has evolved side by side but is so different! There's so much history here."

"No history tonight, just pleasure!" He said, turning her face towards his.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at his choice of words as he turned her back towards the car, his hand still on her lower back as he guided her to the black vehicle and they sat there companionably waiting for the ferry to dock.

Kitty's phone rang, causing her to twist and reach into the back seat for it. Tom reached over and hooked her hand bag easily with his long arm.

"Thank you." She said smiling as she opened her bag and pulled out her phone.

She frowned at the screen, wondering why John was calling.

"Brother dear." She answered dryly. "Surely it is some ungodly hour there, why are you even awake?"

"I wanted to see what you were up to. How is the trip going? Seen lots of historical places yet? Did you go to the tower?" He fired off rapidly.

She laughed at him. "The trip is fine, the research is done, just a final report which I will do up when I get home. I spent the day at the British Museum, which was spectacular. The Egyptian exhibit is amazing. And no, I have not been to the tower. I haven't had a chance. And no, I will not do a night tour!"

"Chicken." He replied. "Met anyone famous that is alive still?"

Kitty's eyes travelled across to Tom. In the confines of the car he could hear both sides of the conversation and had an amused look on his face as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, sure." She said cockily. "Tell Lachlan William and Kate said hello again."

John laughed. "Sure." he said. "Will do. I hope you're actually having some fun over there too, not just working and doing history things. You need an actual life."

"I have an actual life!" She replied indignant. "And I am going out dancing tonight, thank you very much!"

"Aim for a baron or higher." He replied.

"Barbarian." She muttered turning bright red as Tom tried unsuccessfully to smother a laugh.

"Who's with you? Is he a baron?" He inquired.

"None of your business, brother dearest." She replied loftily.

"Come on, what's his name, I'll Google him for you now, save you some effort. "

Tom shook his head, grinning. Don't tell him! He mouthed. Kitty nodded, trying not to laugh.

"I love you, brother, but you're getting nothing from me. So I am going to go out dancing and have a lovely evening. I will talk to you when I get back to Australia! Tell Laclan I said hello."

"Sure." He replied. "Bring me one of those ravens from the tower, must be time for the Brits to panic."

"Smuggle your own wildlife!" She retorted. "I will talk to you later!"

John laughed and said good bye before hanging up.

"Well, that was sufficiently embarrassing for the evening." She said tucking her phone back into her bag.

"Your brother sounds like quite a character." Tom commented. "Lachlan is your other brother isn't he?"

"Yes." She admitted. "The middle one."

"Did you say he had met Prince William and Kate?" He asked curiously.

Kitty laughed. "Proudest moment of my grandmother's life, her grandson met the monarchy! He was a part of the group of scouts who greeted them on their tour of Australia several years ago."

Kitty told Tom stories of her brothers escapades, making him laugh as they drove off the ferry and through the streets of Calais and out onto the highway to Paris. Tom told her about his early life while resting a hand on her knee. Kitty traced patterns across the back of his hand, smiling as he did impressions of his family, transforming his voice completely each time.

Despite her best efforts not to, Kitty dozed off at some point, having only had a few scant hours of sleep the night before. Tom smiled as her cheek rolled down to rest on her shoulder, letting her doze as he continued driving. After another hour passed, they had reached the outskirts of Paris. Tom reached up and gently brushed the hair back off her face, causing her to stir.

"Darling, wake up, we're almost there." He said softly.

Kitty shook her head and sat up, looking around. In the distance she could see the Eiffel tower. Mesmerised, she stared at it, towering above the picturesque cityscape. She looked over at Tom, sheer joy written all over her face. She looked at everything, fascinated by how quickly the landscape changed when travelling across Europe. She marvelled at the old churches and palaces as they continued onwards to the heart of Paris.

Eventually, Tom pulled up outside of a large and very elegant hotel, handing the valet the keys as he stepped out. He came around the car, extending a hand to help Kitty slide out of the car, clutching her handbag. He was the definition of a perfect gentleman, standing there in his tailored suit, highly polished shoes and bow tie, his curling hair brushed back, holding her hand gently as she stood up to meet him. She smiled, looking down and shook her head.

"I still can't believe you have taken me to Paris for the evening!" She said trying to make herself believe it.

"It's only a few hours from London." He demurred. "Let's go and see what they have on the menu today. French cooking is wonderful."

"I know." Said Kitty, surprising him.

He cocked his head at her, raising an eyebrow questioningly as he escorted her through the opulent lobby.

"I went to a French burlesque show when I visited Sydney a few years ago, and the food was exquisite. Not to mention I worked in hospitality when I was studying for my degree. I came to have a love affair with fine food after that." She explained.

"What do you like to cook?" He asked her as he slipped her coat over the back of her chair as they were seated at a table in the restaurant.

"Sweets, mostly." She replied. "But I throw the odd dinner party and cook up a feast of my signature dish of risotto."

They waiter came over and told them the specials as he handed them both menus. Kitty studied hers, overwhelmed by the choices. She snuck a glance at Tom over her menu. He was watching her intently.

"Would it be terribly presumptuous if I ordered for the both of us?" He asked casually.

"Not at all." She said, relieved. "I have no idea where to start with a selection as wonderful as this!"

Tom caught the eye of the waiter and ordered in fluent French. Kitty propped her chin on her hand, watching his exchange with the young man. He finished the conversation with a smile and turned back to see her watching him.

"You know, I've never really agreed with the idea that French is a particularly romantic language, I have always preferred Italian. But you could most certainly change my mind."

"Do you speak Italian?" He asked, laughing.

"A little." She admitted. "My Latin is better though."

"You speak Latin?" He said surprised.

"I read it better than I speak it." Kitty said, sipping the wine the waiter had returned with. "Aren't you going to tell me it's a dead language?"

"Nonsense." He replied. "It still has its uses."

"Finally, someone outside of the circle of historians who agrees with me!" Kitty exclaimed. "I may faint from shock!"

Tom chuckled at her melodramatic reaction. They discussed languages until the entrees arrived, then the discussion turned back to food. For the better part of several hours, they sat enjoying the fine food and their animated discussion. Finally, the last plates and glasses cleared away, Tom stood and extended his hand to her, raising her to her feet and helping her into her coat as they left the hotel to walk down the street. It was after nine in the evening, but the sun had yet to set, and it gilded everything it touched and the perfume of flowers hung heavy in the air.

Tom guided her to what looked like an old chateau, but was in reality an upmarket bar and dance hall, decorated with boughs of jasmine and dozens of candles scattered about the place, leaving the rooms only half lit and casting flickering shadows of the dancers. Kitty left her coat and bag at the door and took in the beautiful surroundings as the daylight began to fade away.

"Shall we?" He asked, gesturing to the dance floor filled with elegant couples, twirling away.

Kitty looked at him with trepidation, still unsure of her skill, but determined to not let that get in the way of a wonderful evening. She slipped her hand into his and let him guide her out onto the floor, blushing as he stepped in closer to slide his hand around her waist. She kept her eyes locked on his blue-grey ones, smiling as he manoeuvred her gracefully around the floor, song after song. After an hour or so, Kitty begged off to go and get them drinks, leaving him to find somewhere they could sit down for a moment. Kitty returned drinks in hand, to find Tom chatting away to a handsome couple at a small table. Tom was already seated, legs spread apart as he leant forwards intent on the conversation as she placed the drinks on the table. He looked up at her and smiled, introducing her to the couple, both dressed in red and black with dark hair. Kitty smiled and said hello, complimenting the woman on her lovely dress. Tom pulled Kitty into his lap, sitting her on his left leg and wrapping his left arm around her waist. Kitty blushed at his touch, and reached for her drink to cover her flustered state. Tom continued talking to Philip and Renata, as they mentioned they were one of the attractions for the evening for their flamenco and tango routines.

"Actually," Said Philip, looking at Renata. "We should get ready, we will be on in a few minutes."

"Lovely to have met you, I look forward to seeing your performances!" Said Tom enthusiastically.

"Me too!" Added Kitty, smiling up at them both.

Tom sipped his drink while Kitty looked around at the crowd, admiring all of the beautiful dresses and the couples dancing gracefully. As the last strains of the song died away, the few electric lights went out one by one as the dance floor cleared. Finally, the only illumination came from the candles dotted about the room. Suddenly, a spotlight lit upon Philip and Renata at opposite ends of the dance floor. Kitty watched, enthralled, as the band picked out the slow opening strains of a completely different song.

"Tango." Tom breathed into her ear, his lips brushing her lobe gently.

Kitty shivered and turned her head slightly towards him, loathe to take her eyes off the dancers before her. As Philip and Renata circled each other, she felt Tom's right hand traced lightly down her right arm, and from her elbow, out along the outside of her thigh to her knee. On the dance floor, Renata and Philip finally came together and pushed one another across the floor, seeming to duel one another as they danced. Kitty sighed and bit her crimson lip as Philip ran his hand down Renata's body. At the same time, Tom slid his dextrous fingers to the inside of her knee beneath the soft chiffon of her dress. Kitty held perfectly still and slid her right hand from her lap to rest on Tom's thigh as his long fingertips stroked her inner thigh. As Philip dragged Renata across the dance floor, his hand grasping at her exposed thigh, Tom slid his hand higher, brushing the top of Kitty's stockings and garter straps. Kitty's hand on his leg clenched involuntarily as she gasped quietly. She turned her face towards his, the magnetism of the dancers forgotten as Tom stroked her leg. He watched her with detached curiosity, head tilted slightly to one side, examining the details of her face. Kitty wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and drew him towards her, kissing him passionately as the music reached its crescendo and the lights went out once more.

She pulled away slightly as the low lights came back on and Tom slid his hand back to rest on her knee again. She looked into his eyes, as though searching for something, the answer as to why fate had thrown her into his path perhaps. Around them, others clapped, showing their approval of the performance, breaking the reverie they had sunk into for a moment. Renata and Philip returned to the table, accepting praise along the way. Tom congratulated them on their masterful performance as they sat back down.

"Did you like it, Miss Kitty?" Philip asked, leaning forwards.

"Honestly, it was amazing, it was so beautiful, you could really feel the passion." She gushed.

"Would you like to learn how to dance like that?" Philip offered smiling.

"Oh no, I couldn't, I only just learnt how to waltz properly today!" She said, laughing as she held up her hands.

"Nonsense." He replied brightly, catching her hand. "Come and try, you will be beautiful, you will see. He will tell you!" He gestured to Tom.

Kitty threw a pleading look at Tom as Philip came around to help her to her feet. Tom just smiled enigmatically and shooed her off.

Philip took her to a quiet corner of the dance floor and began by showing her the basic steps of a tango. Soon Kitty was too distracted by Philip's lesson and the steps to look over at Tom, enjoying the dance and laughing as Philip made jokes about the steps. Almost an hour had passed before a voice interrupted them, saying:

"Mind if I cut in?"

Tom stood there, hand extended to her. Philip graciously handed her back over to him as Kitty thanked him for the lesson.

"You looked like you were enjoying that." He said quietly, as he took her waist in his large hand.

"I was! I am." She said smiling at him. "I love dancing, I just don't have much occasion to dance at home though!"

"Shall we make up for that now?" He asked as he swept her out onto the centre of the dance floor.

Kitty laughed and nodded as they waltzed again. When the band played a tango, she had a chance to put her lesson to good use as Tom pressed his firm muscular body into hers and ran his hot hands up her flesh. Kitty let out a breathy sigh as his hands teased at her throughout the song. At last the song ended, and their bodies were pressed together, Kitty resting one hand on his chest. She looked at him hungrily, wanting his hands and lips to touch her bare flesh.

"Shall we go for a walk to cool down?" He murmured.

"If you insist." She replied, sighing dramatically.

He laughed, and they collected her coat and bag from the doorman, Tom helping her shrug into it. He took her hand as he walked down the street slowly, taking in the image that was Paris at night. They stopped at a bench on a bridge spanning the Seine, looking at the lights reflected on the water's surface.

"I suppose we will have to start heading back to London soon." Kitty said dreamily, leaning into him.

"Not necessarily. I have a room booked in the hotel where we had dinner." He replied casually.

Kitty opened her mouth to protest his extravagance again, but he silenced her with a deep kiss.

"Ok." Was all she managed to breathe out when he took his lips from hers.

His eyes twinkled as he kissed her on the tip of her nose. They continued walking, taking a different route back to the hotel, Tom stopping briefly to pick up the key card from the concierge. They took a small elevator up several floors and Tom used the card to open the door to a darkened room that overlooked Paris. Kitty walked in, looking around at the simple elegance of the room. She stopped at a loveseat at the end of a huge bed and sat down to slip off her shoes and coat. She padded over to the balcony door in stockinged feet, gazing out over the illuminated city. Tom came to stand behind her, having taken off his jacket and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Thank you." She murmured. "I know this sounds cliché but this really has been one of the best days of my life!"

Tom kissed the top of her head, saying:

"You're welcome, I am glad you have enjoyed it so much. It's always a treat to go back to somewhere you've been before and take along someone who has never been, it's like going for the first time all over again."

"I almost moved to Europe a few years ago, you know." She murmured, resting her hands on the cool glass. "Right after I finished my degree I was going to move to Berlin, but then I was offered a job from my research project with the Catholic diocese, so I stayed. I almost wish I had just turned them down now!"

"Then I might never have had the chance to meet you." He replied, tightening his arms around her. "What a shame that would have been."

"Certainly." She agreed leaning back into him.

The stood there for a while in silence, watching Paris rush by without them, just enjoying each other's company. Eventually, Tom kissed her hair and asked:

"One more dance?"

Kitty laughed quietly and turned to look up at his hopeful face.

"Of course." She said smiling.

Tom pulled his phone from his pocket and played soft Spanish flamenco music before placing his phone on a coffee table nearby.

"Another tango?" Kitty questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

Tom smiled wolfishly and pulled her against him, running his hands over her body. Kitty felt a flush rise in her cheeks as she tried to catch her breath.

"That's very distracting you know." She murmured as they danced. "And decidedly unhelpful when I'm trying to concentrate."

Tom said nothing, instead dipping her back, pressing his lips to her collar bone and simultaneously running his hand up her leg to grasp at her thigh. Kitty gasped as his fingers dug into her flesh, but he was already moving, pulling her upright. He spun her away from him, and tugged on her hand to pull her back to him. She twirled into him, her free hand pressed into his firm thigh, her back pressed to his chest. He wrapped the hand not holding hers around her body, his fingertips grazing across her breasts, tantalizing her. Kitty spun to face him, hand raised to reach for his face to pull his lips to hers, but he was ready for her, grabbing her wrist before she could touch him. She curled her fingers in frustration, but still he would not relent. His face was implacable as he turned her away from him again, stepping forwards and wrapping her captured arm back around his neck, forcing her to arch her back against his chest. Softly, he kissed her neck, his right hand drifting down her body, grasping the hem of her dress and drawing it upwards. Kitty sighed as his fingertips brushed the top of her stockings, trailing ever higher. She clenched his shirt in her hand as his hand cupped her bare sex. He paused for a moment, whispering into her ear:

"Minx! Have you been without underwear this whole time?"

"Absolutely." She murmured, unashamed.

He chuckled, stroking her for a moment, before stepping back, allowing her to stand normally. He trailed his hands up her body and slowly undid the zipper, sliding the black material off her shoulder, letting it pool around her feet. Kitty looked back at him over her bare shoulder, standing there in her stockings, garter and black lace long line bra. He cupped her face and turned her to face him, kissing her deeply as his hands travelled down to her ass, cupping her cheeks and lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around him. He carried her over to the loveseat at the end of the bed, sitting down with her in his lap. Kitty looked down at his shirt, undoing the buttons slowly and untucking the shirt from his pants, looking up at him through her long lashes as she traced her nails down his muscular abs. She felt his hands working their way slowly down the long line bra, undoing all of the dozen or so catches as she met his lips with her own. He slipped the bra out from in between them, discarding it on the floor as he ran his hands unimpeded up her back to her shoulders, pressing her down firmly onto his hardening shaft. Kitty moaned and dug her nails into his back, leaving long scratches on his flawless skin as she pressed her chest into his, burning with desire.

He held her close as he stood and turned as he tapped on her thighs with his fingertips, indicating she should untangle herself from him. She unwrapped her legs from around him and realised too late he had a wicked glint in his eye. He threw her bodily onto the bed, to land on her back halfway up the pristine sheets. Kitty rolled onto her stomach, crossing her hands in front of her breasts to rest her chin on her hands as she watched him over her shoulder slip out of his clothes, thoroughly enjoying the show. He knelt on the loveseat at the end of the bed, and caught her ankles, yanking her towards him as he pulled her legs apart. He grabbed her hips in both hands, pulling her to an upright position, kneeling in front of him. Once more, just as it had been during their tango, she was pressed firmly against his body, his hands exploring her. This time, she could clearly feel his stiff member pressing into her back. Kitty gasped as his lips found her neck and began working their way down. One of his hands was caressing her breast, running his thumb over her hard nipple, while the other hand had slipped into her wet slit and was slowly circling her clit.

"I'm not sure why I find it so captivating when you are wearing only stockings, but it is incredibly hot." He breathed into her ear.

Kitty moaned as he slid one long finger into her, turning her head towards his, gasping:

"Probably the same reason behind why I get wet just from seeing you in a suit."

He chuckled, slipping another finger into her tightness.

"Really? I have quite a few suits you know."

She whimpered and reached around to grasp his torso with both hands, holding on for dear life.  
"If you keep leaving marks on me, I'm going to leave some on you, Miss Kitty." He lectured her sternly.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. As he looked into her eyes, her face transformed, as she gave him a wanton smile, slitting her eyes as she pulled him more firmly to her and dragged her nails around his hips.

"You were warned." He said simply in a dark tone as he looked down his nose at her.

He took his hands from her body suddenly and pushed her forwards roughly, leaving her hips in the air as her shoulders and head hit the pillow, her arms not breaking her fall quickly enough. Before she could recover, she felt his hand connect with her flesh as he spanked her. With one hand, he pushed down on her shoulders as the other continued to smack her behind sharply, reddening her flesh. Kitty yelped and giggled, trying to wriggle away, but he held her fast. Suddenly he stopped, his hands moving to her hips as he guided himself into her and buried himself to the hilt in her. She would have collapsed down onto the bed, but his hands kept her in place as he slowly thrust into her over and over. Kitty buried her face into the bed, clutching at the sheets as she tried not to shout out in pleasure. She managed to slide a hand down beneath her and began stroking her clit as his pace increased. Faster and slower, they moved in unspoken concert, until their breathing was ragged. As they both reached the crest of climax, Kitty shouted out:

"Tom, oh God, yes Tom!"

With one final deep thrust, he spilled into her and rested his head on her back as her orgasm racked her body, causing her to shake for several moments. They lay together like that for a few minutes, his arms wrapped around her waist, lips pressed to her back, still buried within her. When she stopped quivering, he slipped out of her to fall heavily on the bed beside her. Slowly, Kitty stretched her legs out, wrapping her arms across her chest as she turned to face him. He snaked one long arm around her hip, drawing her closer. Tentatively, she brushed the hair back from his forehead, stroking his serious angular face, those pensive blue-grey eyes watching her. Kitty couldn't help but blush when he looked at her like that, for some reason.

"That is very disconcerting." She whispered.

"What is?" He asked, curious.

"The way you always seem to be looking straight through to my soul." She replied frankly.

He smiled at her.

"That's amusing, because I was trying to puzzle you out. You're an interesting one, Miss Kitty DeVine."

She blushed and looked down, smiling. She could feel him watching her still, but she refused to meet his eyes, knowing she would just continue to blush. He tucked her hair behind her ear and raised her chin so she looked at him.

"Onto your back." He said softly.

She complied, as he carefully undid the catches holding her stockings up on each leg. He slipped his fingers into the top of each stocking and slid them down her legs, depositing them on the seat at the end of the bed. She rolled away from him as he undid the catch on the garter belt and slid it out from beneath her. She turned back to him as he moved to lie flat on his back. She curled up next to him, resting her head on his firm chest, one leg draped over his, his arm wrapped around her shoulder as his lips pressed to her forehead.

"Thank you." She murmured.

"For?" He asked, tilting his head to look at her.

"Being so ridiculously wonderful. Honestly, talk about setting the bar too high, I'll be ruined after this." She grumbled looking up at him.

He laughed and shook his head as she closed her eyes, kissing his torso.

"Although, now I am in Paris with no underwear, so that might be something of an issue in the morning." She said dryly.

Tom chuckled:

"The suit bag should be in the wardrobe, go and look in there."

Kitty slipped out of his arms and over to the wardrobe. Sure enough, the bag was hanging there. When she unzipped it, she found her own clothes and her toiletries bag.

"Thank you!" She said, looking over at him in the dim light.

He smiled as she disappeared with her bag into the bathroom, listening to the running water.

Kitty opened her eyes after washing the last of the soap from her face to see him standing in the darkened doorway watching her again, completely at ease, even standing there nude. She shut the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself.

"Couldn't help but notice my pyjamas didn't make it into your bag while you were rummaging through my clothes." She said archly, looking up at him.

"Terribly sorry." He said cheerfully.

She shook her head and swatted him on the backside as he moved past her to the shower. She dried herself off and hung up her towel, watching him soap up his naked form out of the corner of her eye. She walked back to the bed and slipped under the sheets, feeling the crisp cotton on her bare skin as she looked out the long windows. She heard the shower shut off and within a few moments, felt Tom's weight on the bed as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her shoulder as she interlaced her fingers with his on her hip and smiled as she drifted off to sleep, his muscular body pressed against hers.


	5. Chapter 5

Kitty came awake slowly, aware of the dim light filtering through the sheer curtains as she uncurled her legs, stretching them out. She turned over, still half asleep, stretching her arms out in front of her, touching a warm, firm body. She opened her eyes ever so slightly, taking in the sight before her. Tom laid there on his back, sleeping peacefully, the sheet still draped across his hips, his face turned away from her as she watched his muscular chest rise and fall. His reddish hair curled in every direction, one hand tucked behind his head. Without his cheerful smile, he looked so serious, yet serene. It was strange to see him still, when he was typically so full of life and forever doing something.

Kitty slipped out of the bed and tip toed over to the bathroom, relieving herself and running a brush through the curling mess that was her hair and splashing cool water on her face before returning to the bed. She slid back under the sheets, watching the city through the window as she lay on her stomach, wondering what the day would hold.

Suddenly, cool hands ran down her back, making her jump.

"Good morning." Came Tom's deep voice from beside her as reached her waist.

Kitty squirmed under his hands as he ran his thumbs over her hips.

"Don't do that, it tickles!" She said, looking over at him.

"Oh really." He replied, mischief on his face.

"Don't do it." She warned him. "I'm serious, don't you – "

She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence as Tom began tickling her, making her gasp as she tried to wriggle away. He pulled her back towards him as she slid close to the edge of the bed, still tormenting her as she tried to stop laughing long enough to tell him to stop again. She put her knees on his chest to push herself away and out of his reach, but he merely slid her knee over his hip and drew her squirming body closer, laughing at her useless attempts to escape. Kitty shifted her weight and rolled, pulling herself up so she sat on his stomach, one of his hands pinned beneath her knee. She captured the other one with both hands, slipping it under her other knee. She leant forward, catching her breath as she took his throat in her hand she said:

"I said no tickling! It is not funny!"

Tom grinned up at her impishly, looking down at her naked body resting over his.

"Seems to have worked well for me!"

Kitty leant all the way over until her eyes were mere centimetres from his, she stared into those wicked blue-grey eyes for a few moments before she shook her head.

"What kind of gentleman are you anyway?" She asked mournfully. "So much for respecting a lady's wishes."

"What is it I keep seeing written on all the fan art I get? 'Tom on the streets, Loki in the sheets'?" He said with a wicked smile as he stretched out to kiss her on the nose.

"That is not a valid excuse!" She said, releasing his throat and settling back, wrapping the sheet around herself. "What is the plan today? Breakfast and then back to England?"

Tom cocked his head at her as he slid his hands out from under her and rested his long fingers on her thighs.

"Is that what you want to do?" He asked, conversationally.

"I am all yours, until the end of the week at least." She murmured. "And I can't say I've never wanted to come to France!"

"So let's stay then. I have this week free, I can spend your last few days in Europe showing you some of her treasures." He said casually.

Kitty opened her mouth to tell him he didn't have to do that, that it was too much, but she felt his long fingers twitch on her waist with his eyebrow raised in warning. She closed her mouth again and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Definitely ruined for life." She sighed dramatically.

Tom laughed at her forlorn expression and sat up slowly, so she sat in his lap, wrapping her legs around him. He had his arms around her waist, drawing her close while she rested her palms on his shoulders, looking into his smiling face.

"There is the issue of my having a very limited wardrobe, you realise." She said, curling her fingers through his hair,

"I don't see an issue with that presently." He murmured, running his long fingers down her spine gently, causing her to shiver.

"Unless we plan to stay in this room indefinitely, it will be something of an issue at some point." She replied dryly.

"Problems for later." He murmured as his lips met hers.

Kitty ceased caring whether or not she had clothes to wear, focussing only on his kisses, his warm hands pressing her into him, his cock stirring between them as they ran their hands over each other's bodies, desire mounting. She took her hands from his neck to lift herself onto his length, head lolling onto her shoulders, her back arched as Tom's hands held onto her lower back, steadying her. She groaned, biting her lower lip as she encompassed him slowly, eyes shut to focus on the pleasure. Tom's hands slid up her back, drawing her torso back to his and one hand slid around to cup her face. Kitty opened her eyes to find him watching her, a look of intense curiosity on his face as they moved together slowly. The way in which he was staring into her eyes made the moment so much more intimate. They watched one another as they rocked back and forth, no words spoken, only gasps of pleasure escaping their lips. Eventually, Kitty could take it no longer, surrendering to the moment, throwing her head back and grasping on to his shoulder as her climax caused her whole body to shudder. She opened her eyes, looking at the roof as she tried to catch her breath. Tom kissed her collarbone, making her to shiver. She looked at him, still watching her, a small smile playing on his lips. She blushed and slid her hands down his back and rested her cheek on his shoulder, still shaking slightly. His arms tightened around her and they stayed like that for a time, just holding one another.

Eventually Kitty sighed and lifted her head, kissing him softly again. She swung her leg around and stepped off the bed, heading for a hot shower. After a few minutes, she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Tom slipped past her as she went looking for her clothes, trailing his fingers across her shoulders as he sauntered past. Kitty dressed in the clothes he had packed for her. Her favourite green knee length skirt and a plain black shirt, she even found that he had packed her flat shoes too. Tom emerged from the bathroom as she zipped up her skirt.

"How did I do?" He asked, towelling off his hair.

"Top marks." She replied. "This is my favourite skirt, it comes with me everywhere."

He smiled and walked over to kiss her softly.

"You look lovely in it. But now I get to take you shopping for more lovely things." He said with a smile.

Kitty shook her head and walked past him to put her hair up. She emerged a few minutes later to find him waiting for her, dressed in dark jeans and a white t-shirt, a dark leather jacket in one hand.

"Ready?" He asked, holding a hand out.

"Absolutely, let's go!" She said, practically bouncing to the door.

He laughed at her enthusiasm and led her downstairs and out onto the streets of Paris. They stopped at a small bakery nearby for tea and breakfast before Tom took her to several upmarket boutiques. He had excellent taste, suggesting styles and colours that would accentuate her fair skin and dark hair perfectly. She refused to let him buy her everything, settling instead on two dresses, three skirts and four blouses. It was only that much because he wouldn't take no for an answer, and the ladies at the boutiques smiled and politely ignored her when she protested. He bought himself some basics too, slacks and jeans and a few button up shirts, picking shades of blue that complimented his colouring. Tom insisted on going into every shop she showed any interest in, which were mainly book shops and antique shops, smiling patiently at her as she examined everything minutely, helping translate the conversation with the store owners. Finally, they made their way back to the hotel, wandering down a narrow alley.

"You are far too generous, Tom, really!" She said.

"A small price to pay for getting to spend more time with you, Kitty." He smiled. "Let's drop these bags off at the room, there's something I want to show you."

They made their way back to the hotel, stopping briefly to pick up Kitty's coat as the evening air had brought a chill with it. They chatted as they walked, Tom attempting to teach her some basic French as they meandered through the streets of Paris, companionably holding hands. Eventually, they turned a corner and were facing a river, Tom stopped and nodded across the water. Kitty looking where he was gesturing, her breath catching in her throat. She stepped forwards, her hand slipping out of his, but she didn't notice, too engrossed in the sight before her.

"Notre Dame de Paris." She breathed, looking across the Seine at the enormous building. "She is so beautiful."

"Yes she is." Tom said smiling at her as he stepped forward to tug on her hand. "Let's go see her close up, shall we?"

Kitty nodded silently, not taking her eyes from the church as he led her across the bridge, the western facade and its famous rose window coming into view slowly. They stood at the western entrance to the church, Kitty studying the huge building. Tom glanced at her face, taking in the look of reverence there, slipping his phone out of his pocket to take a picture of her. Kitty was shaken out of her reverie by the click as Tom took the photo. She blushed and shook herself.

"Sorry, I get lost in my passion for churches sometimes!" She said apologetically. "Just stand in front of me next time, you're definitely a worthy distraction."

"Good to know!" He said with a smouldering gaze.

"Don't apologize for being passionate about something." He added, brushing her cheek. "Even if you do get more excited about old churches than any other woman I've met."

Kitty feigned outrage at his teasing, moving to push past him, nose in the air to head into the cathedral, but Tom wrapped an arm around her hips, his fingers tickling her waist. Instantly she was distracted from her indignant act as she tried to pull out of his grip. He pulled her against him and kissed her neck, making her smile and turn towards him. There was another click as Tom snapped another picture, this time of both of them in front of the church.

"You know, I will stand still for pictures if you ask nicely." She said smiling up at him.

"But this one is different." He insisted, showing her. "This one is of you, of Natasha, not Kitty. And you are laughing, there is genuine happiness."

She shook her head at him, pulling him towards the church. They spent the last few hours of daylight walking through Notre Dame, Tom translating signs for her, Kitty quietly discussing the finer points of Gothic architecture with him. The sun was beginning to stream through the famous rose window when they left, painting the floor fabulous colours and patterns.

Kitty sighed as they left, looking back to fix the image in her mind.

"I don't even have words for how amazing that was." She murmured. "Thank you."

He took her hand and wrapped it around his arm, kissing her on the cheek. They walked back towards the hotel, stopping at a small busy restaurant for dinner. Afterwards, they wandered through a public garden, talking about Tom's upcoming films and the different characters he was taking on. They walked back to the hotel as the sun was setting, Tom's arm around Kitty's shoulder,

"Is it strange if I tell you that it feels like I've known you for far longer than the week or so that I actually have?" Kitty murmured looking up at him.

"Not at all." He replied.

"You're too easy to talk to." She said, shaking her head at her admission. "Honestly, stop it. Tell me something bad about yourself so there's some sort of balance here."

"Something bad...um." His brow furrowed as he tried to think of something. "I once stole Chris Hemsworth's pudding and ate it in front of him while he was filming and couldn't do anything about it."

Kitty looked up at him, bursting out laughing as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, you're a monster, I can tell. A shocking revelation indeed."

Tom laughed and drew her closer.

"I could be bad if I wanted to." He whispered into her ear.

"I'll believe that when I see it!" She responded playfully.

They returned to the hotel room, Kitty still teasing Tom about his supposedly 'bad' behaviour. Kitty shrugged out of her coat, throwing it over a chair. Tom snuck up behind her, taking her wrists in his hands and wrapping them around his head as he kissed down the length of her neck, sliding his long arms around her waist. Kitty smiled and turned within his arms, looking up into his angular face as he pressed her to him. Tom reached for her right hand, taking it in his as he began waltzing slowly around the room. Kitty looked up at him wryly as his hand slid down over her waist and onto her rear.

"Now, I'm fairly new to dancing, but I am fairly certain that is not where the gentleman's hand is supposed to be." She said sternly.

"Advanced techniques." He said straight faced.

"Uh huh." She replied, disbelievingly. "Also, if this is your idea of being bad, it could use some work."

Tom's hand tightened on her arse, his other hand drawing her face closer to his, kissing her passionately. He leant her back and bit her bottom lip gently, causing her to gasp. Taking advantage of her parted lips, his tongue slid against hers. Kitty locked her hands behind his head, her knees going weak. Eventually, he took his lips from hers, staring into her eyes, straightening her up slowly.

"Um, yes, something like that." She said weakly, out of breath.

Tom smiled at her, a predatory gleam in his eye as his hand found the button at the back of her skirt, the green material pooling at her feet. He pulled the black shirt over her head, dropping it on the floor as he undid her bra and slid it off her shoulders. He gripped her upper arms firmly, propelling her backwards until the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed, pushing her back gently. Kitty raised herself up on her elbows, watching him shuck his shirt and pants, holding her gaze the entire time. He crept up the bed, pausing to slide her underwear off then continuing upwards, kissing her along the way, at her knee, her hip, above her navel, between her breasts and on her collar bone.

Kitty gasped and quivered as his hands burnt hot trails down her skin whilst their lips met again. She moaned and tipped her head back as his fingers slipped into her slick sex. She felt his lips brush her breast, causing her to moan his name. She reached for his muscular arms, drawing him up so that their lips met. She felt him pressing at her entrance, and slid her hands down to his taut rear, pushing him into her. Her back bowed as he inched his way into her, filling her gradually. Kitty's left hand rested on his chest, tightening as he moved within her slowly. He pulled it away gently with his right hand, pinning it to the bed above her head. He kissed her neck as they moved together, Kitty's hips lifting to meet his thrusts. She moaned and pressed her hand down, trying to push him deeper and harder into her, but he moved with controlled, measured strokes. After some time, they were both panting, Kitty looked into his eyes.

"Please." She begged him breathily.

He kissed her passionately, increasing his speed, making her moan against his lips. Her body began to shudder as her orgasm came over her slowly, spreading up her body like ripples on a pond. With one final thrust, Tom found his release, his hard body pressing into hers, his face buried in her shoulder as he caught his breath.

They lay together like that for long moments, Kitty stroking his back before he sighed and slid free of her to lie side by side. Tom held her close, his hand resting lightly on her breast as he kissed her shoulder. Tom shifted slightly, pulling the sheet up over them both before returning his hand to her breast, holding onto her gently, possessively as they drifted off to sleep, the mixed scent of citrus and musk that Tom naturally exuded surrounded Kitty as she smiled softly and nestled against him.


	6. Chapter 6

It was still dark when Kitty awoke and she lay there with her eyes closed and hands thrown up above her head, still too groggy from sleep to know what had woken her. She felt the soft touch of fingertips brushing her skin, moving across her stomach and down her thighs. She opened her eyes slightly and lifted her head, greeted by the sight of Tom looking up at her, lips resting on her hip,

"Good morning." She yawned as she stretched her body out, resting her hand on his cheek, stroking the short, tidy beard.

She rested her head on her shoulder looking down at him, loosing herself in his spectacularly blue eyes. She watched him as he kissed her hip again, one hand reaching out to grasp hers, their fingers laced together loosely. He continued to watch her as his lips slowly travelled downwards, towards her thigh. Kitty's eyes widened as she came to full consciousness as she realised his intention.

Tom's free hand slid across her stomach and down her thighs and rested on her mound. He bit her thigh softly as he brushed his thumb across her clit gently. She twitched and parted her legs, tangling her free hand in his curly hair as she closed her eyes and moaned softly. He stopped moving and Kitty opened her eyes to look down at him, a pleading look on her face.

"Eyes on me, darling." He whispered, the coarse hair of his beard brushing her sensitive stomach.

She held his gaze as his fingers resumed stroking her velvet folds as he hooked her leg over his shoulder. She gasped and shook as he slipped his long digits into her, struggling to keep her eyes on him. As he kissed her navel and worked his soft lips down her, she moaned and bucked her hips towards him, pushing herself down onto his fingers firmly, opening her eyes again as her body stopped rolling. He was watching her with a small smile and returned his lips to her skin, pausing briefly to smile wickedly at her before flicking his tongue out and across her clit, causing a soft groan to escape her lips. Kitty clenched his hair in her hand as he worked his tongue up and down her, his long fingers curling inside of her. As she began to lose control of herself, her legs shaking, her moans getting louder, his tongue moved faster and faster, making her back arch further and further off the bed.

With one final shudder, Kitty's climax over took her, the convulsions so violent she bit her lip hard and folded her knees to her chest, rolling away from Tom, her eyes screwed shut as her whole body shook.

"Darling, are you alright?" He asked, concern filling his voice, as he touched her shoulder

"Mmm, just a minute." She mumbled, shaking from where he touched her arm.

After several moments, she had recovered enough to uncurl her body, though her legs were still shaking. She turned towards Tom, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips pressed to her hands.

"Sorry." She murmured weakly.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked, confused and concerned.

"Um , no." She said blushing. "Call it extremely high praise. Sometimes I can't stand to be touched as soon as I come for a few minutes, it's too much pleasure, it almost hurts."

"I'm sorry!" He said with genuine feeling, looking worried.

Kitty reached out to stroke his cheek.

"Don't be sorry!" She laughed softly. "It's not an unpleasant experience for me, I just need a little while to recover!"

Tom frowned and reached up to touch her lip.

"You're bleeding!" He said.

Kitty put her fingers to her lip. She had broken the skin at the top of her bottom lip when she had been biting it as she had climaxed. There wasn't much blood, it was already drying as she ran her tongue over it.

"That's a new one." She said conversationally, checking her finger tips to make sure the last of the blood was gone.

She looked up at him, still looking slightly worried at her. He opened his mouth, presumably to apologise again, but Kitty leant in and kissed him gently, tasting herself on his lips.

"Stop apologising!" She murmured, as she drew back slightly, examining his thin lips for a moment before kissing him again.

He drew her towards him gently, his hand on her back causing her to shiver, kissing her sweetly. He drew back slightly, smiling at her.

"Would you like to see the Louvre?" He asked nonchalantly.

Kitty blinked at him, surprised by the question.

"Could we?" She breathed, her eyes alight. "I would love to see everything!"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Of course!" He replied. "I wasn't sure if you would prefer to explore Paris or go to the Louvre today."

"Louvre." She said immediately. "All of that art, the Greek sculptures! When can we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready." He said with that broad smile.

Kitty kissed him again and leapt off the bed, buzzing with excitement. Fifteen minutes later they were both ready to go. Tom paused for a moment, taking in Kitty in her new dress. It wasn't her usual mid-twentieth century style of clothes, but it was modern and elegant, a red scoop neck dress that came to her knee, her waist encircled by a slim black and gold belt.

"What is it?" She said, looking down at herself, making sure she was immaculate.

"Nothing, you just look different." He said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Civilian clothes, remember? I do own some 'normal' clothes, but where's the fun in that?" She said playfully. "Although the ones you have bought me here are by far my favourites, I must say."

He smiled at her and took her hand.

"Before we go, I should probably warn you, at a place like the Louvre, full of international tourists, I might get recognised. It might be better for you if it doesn't seem like we are such close...friends." He murmured. "It's nothing personal, I want you to know, and I just thought I should warn you."

Kitty smiled at him, reading between the lines.

"I understand." She replied, stepping close to him and drawing him down to her, kissing him deeply. "To tide me over." She said with a cheeky grin.

He chuckled and led her out of the room, heading north towards the Louvre as the sun shone through the old buildings. They stopped briefly at a cafe for a quick breakfast, Kitty eager to see all of the artworks she had heard and read so much about.

Since it was early, they had beaten the worst of the crowds and they began wandering the halls, Tom pointing out his favourite pieces, explaining their meaning and iconography to her. The stopped off at the Mona Lisa briefly, Kitty stepping close to take in the small painting.

"What do you think?" He asked her.

"I once saw excerpts of Da Vinci's notebooks with sketches of his flying machines in them, alongside his backwards script. While she is lovely, I prefer his flying machines." She said in a soft voice.

Tom looked at her, clearly surprised, opening his mouth to say something before they were interrupted by excited whispers nearby.

Several breathless American girls were standing at Tom's elbow, arguing whether or not he was in fact Tom Hiddleston. He turned to look at them, his charismatic smile solidifying their recognition. They pressed forwards, asking to take a picture with him and for his autograph, which he happily agreed to.

Kitty slipped away and smiled at his easy going nature and the casual way he interacted with his fans. He treated them with the utmost respect, as the individuals they were and not just a part of the horde that followed him as other celebrities seemed wont to do. It was part of the reason why his fans were so devoted to him, she knew.

He caught her eye and mouthed an apology, but she smiled at him and shook her head, moving around the room taking in the other paintings. He joined her after several minutes, apologising again.

"They really love you, you know." She whispered to him as they moved to walk up a long set of stairs.

"I have the best fans, they are very sweet and passionate." He said in an undertone.

"Yes, and they also amount to an army, should you ever need to invade a small country." She laughed quietly.

Tom began to protest before realising she wasn't listening. Kitty's eyes were fixed on the marble form that appeared by degrees at the top of the stairs. Tom glanced up to see what held her so transfixed. The winged victory of Samothrace, one of the best examples in the world of Hellenistic marble sculpture. They finished mounting the stairs and Kitty walked around the sculpture, taking it in from all angles. She stood to one side, studying the form in detail, and sighed heavily.

"Of all the wonders in the world that I want to see, the winged victory has been at the top of my list for several years. If I never see you again after this week, I will always remember this, and remember that it was you who brought me here." She murmured her eyes wide and her face solemn as she turned to look up at him. "Thank you."

Tom searched her grave face, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing it.

"I am glad I got to be the one to bring you here." He said, smiling tenderly at her. "But I do hope I get to see you again after this week!"

Kitty smiled wryly at him, remembering his hectic film and theatre schedule for the next few months, as well as her own obligations and projects back home in Australia. Sadness twinged at her as she realised for all his words, she might not get to see him again in person after this week.

"We'll always have Paris." She quoted to him, in a bad imitation of Humphrey Bogart.

"Terrible." He laughed at her, making her smile.

She smacked his arm gently and continued up the stair case. He caught up with her easily, as they continued exploring the extensive collection, discussing the art as they moved around.

Several more times Kitty slipped away from his side as more and more of his fans recognised him and wanted a picture with him. She couldn't begrudge them that, not when she would have been one of them last week, but for a wicked twist of fate.

Eventually, they left, Tom taking her to a small but lively cabaret for an early dinner. They wandered along the streets of Paris, painted in the colours of the dying sun, going nowhere in particular, but taking in the sights as they meandered hand in hand down the streets and alleys.

"Would you like to go to a winery tomorrow?" He suggested quietly.

"Sure." Kitty responded, smiling up at him. "I feel like the wineries here will put the Australian ones to shame!"

He laughed melodiously, "But Australia has so many other wonderful things!"

"Don't say kangaroos or koalas." She warned him. "Roos leave huge dents in your car and koalas pee on everyone!"

"But they are adorable!" He protested.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"A bilby then, if you want adorable." She replied.

He looked slightly confused. "A what?"

"A bilby. Here, look." She pulled out her phone and showed him a picture of a small animal that looked like a cross between a rabbit and a wallaby.

He looked at the image and turned to look at her.

"Next time I'm in Australia I need to see one of those!" He said enthusiastically.

They continued their wander, chatting as they walked. Eventually they turned a corner, and the Eiffel tower came into view across a broad green park. Kitty looked up at Tom with a wry smile, realising he had been steering her here the whole time. She pulled on his arm and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek in thanks, causing him to grin.

They walked into the park and sat on the grass, Kitty leaning back into his chest, his arms wrapped around her as they looked up at the towering landmark, the air filled with the perfume of the surrounding greenery and his leather jacket.

Kitty laced one of her hands with his and trailed the other one up one of his long slender legs, sighing blissfully.

"I really need to move to Europe. There are so many churches here I could write about, there's so much history here, and the depth of culture, this place is amazing."

"We could continue your dance lessons." He said conversationally.

"That too!" She laughed.

They sat in a comfortable silence, as the sun sunk below the horizon, Tom wrapping her in his jacket as the evening turned chilly. They watched as the icon of Paris was bathed in glittering lights as night fell, as though lit by a thousand stars.

Kitty gazed up at the Eiffel tower, feeling Tom's strong arms wrapped firmly around her, his muscled torso pressing against her back, his cheek pressed to her hair, his breath warming her ear, trying to cement this perfect moment in her memory forever.

"We should head back, before you catch cold." He murmured.

She nodded reluctantly, and let him pull her to her feet, wrapping an arm about her shoulders as they turned to head back to the hotel. Paris was still very much awake and ebullient as they walked down the cobbled lane ways, Tom talking about the way in which Paris was a singular city, especially for artists.

They made their way up to the room when they reached the brightly lit hotel, Tom holding the door open for Kitty as she slipped past him into the dark space. She shrugged off his leather jacket, unwillingly returning it to him as he moved to join her. He tossed the jacket onto a chair and slipped his arms about her, tracing soft kisses down her neck.

Kitty shivered, cold now without the jacket, and Tom stepped back slightly, looking down at her concerned.

"Are you cold?"

"A bit." She admitted. "I'm from a place where we get winter for maybe two weeks of the whole year and we are lucky if the temperature ever slips below ten degrees Celsius during that period. I'm not used to any kind of chill!"

"I want that kind of winter!" He joked, rubbing her arms.

Kitty shook her head and pressed herself into his arms to warm her body.

"Ah, but your kind of winter gives you an excellent excuse to warm other people up, should they so require it." She said mischievously.

"That's very true." He replied, bending his head to meet her lips.

She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, surrendering herself to his touch, her body warming beneath his roaming hands as he slid the dress from her and pulled her towards the bed.

Kitty woke later, to a phone ringing. Tom slid away from her, wrapping a sheet around his hips as he picked up the phone and smiled at her, stepping out onto the balcony, sliding the door closed behind him. He answered the phone, and began frowning.

The door wasn't completely shut, so Kitty was able to hear the shrill loud voice of a woman as Tom winced and held the phone away slightly from his ear

"What do you mean you're in Paris?! You need to get back here straight away, you cannot just up and disappear like that, Tom! Get back to London, NOW."

Kitty looked up at Tom's muscled back, startled. 'Surely not.' She thought to herself. 'I'm sure he is single...isn't he?' It did sound an awful lot like this woman had some sort of claim to him, and one that he was willing to allow her to have, judging by the defeated slump of his shoulders.

The conversation continued much more quietly, before Tom ended the call and leant over the balcony, sighing deeply. He turned and came back inside, placing his phone down beside the bed, looking at it regretfully.

"I'm sorry darling, but we will have to cancel our plans to visit the winery tomorrow, I have to go back to London straight away." He said regretfully.

"Ok." She replied, uncertainly, trying to puzzle out who the woman was without asking him. "Did you want to leave tonight?"

"No, the morning is soon enough." He said, reaching for her once more, stroking her cheek.

Kitty smiled uncertainly at him trying not to think the worst of the man who had been such a wonderful gentleman to her over the past week.

He wrapped his arms about her naked waist and drew her to him, kissing her forehead as he settled down to sleep again. Kitty lay awake for a long time after that, watching his serious face relax in slumber, her brow creased as she tried to puzzle out who the woman was who had chastised Tom, her hand resting on his chest, feeling his measured breath as she slipped back into a fitful sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Kitty woke to a gentle touch on her cheek, opening her eyes to Tom sitting on the bed beside her, his thumb stroking her cheek as he smiled down at her. Kitty stretched out her legs and looked up at him, blinking blearily.

"Good morning." She yawned thickly, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Good morning, darling." He said smiling at her, as she pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Breakfast?" He held up a paper bag from a bakery.

"Yes please!" She smiled at him.

Tom took her hand and pulled her to her feet, pausing as she wrapped a sheet around herself and lead her over to the table, pulling out her chair and sitting across from her, pulling the pastries out of the bag next to two tall cups of tea. Kitty chewed thoughtfully on a croissant, tucking her feet up under her as she watched him tear apart and devour the food. She finished one and started sipping the tea, the late night call coming back to her, causing her to frown slightly.

She peered at him over her tea, he was looking out of the window, a distant look on his serious face. She bit her lip as she replayed the call from the following night, hearing that demanding voice play through her mind once more.

He turned back to look at her, frowning slightly as he caught the concerned expression on her face.

"I'm sorry we have to cut this short, there is so much more I wanted to show you." He murmured quietly.

"Never mind." She replied, guarding her face. "I will definitely be coming back at some point. There are so many more things I want to see here."

He smiled and picked up his tea as she started on another croissant. She finished it quickly and stood, pulling the sheet around herself as she turned and headed for the bathroom. She stood under the hot water, trying to wash away her doubts about him. She dried herself and dressed in the royal blue capri pants and a button up blouse that she had grabbed on her way in.

Outside she could hear Tom packing and she came out to find he had already packed her things into the bags she had collected from their shopping trip. She slipped her toiletries into one of the bags as he kissed her forehead and gathered up the last of his things.

"All set?" He asked, suit bag draped over his arm, bags dangling from his long fingers.

"Yes." She said, smiling up at him wistfully.

They left the hotel, walking out to Tom's dark sedan that had been pulled around, Tom loaded the bags into the boot before escorting her around to the passenger side, holding her hand as she slid into the seat.

They drove away from the hotel, Kitty taking in her last views of Paris as the sun rose, painting the city rosy hues. She sighed sadly, her fingers resting on the glass as she watched the city slip away. Tom reached out, squeezing her knee. She turned to look over at him and gave him a small smile, covering his hand with hers. She turned back to look at the passing scenery, wrapping her hand around his.

After a short while, Tom slowed the car, pulling up alongside a park full of tall trees. Kitty turned to look at him, her head tilted at him questioningly.

"One last stop, just for you." He said, drawing her hand to his lips, causing her to smile broadly at his gallant gesture.

She stepped out of the car, and walked with him up the street towards a large gothic building. He wrapped her hand around his arm as they crossed the street.

"The Cathedral of Saint Denis." She breathed, looking up at him. "Thank you."

He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head and pulled her forwards.

They walked into the church and Kitty looked around at the building, examining its features and snapping a few photos. She turned from taking a picture of the stained glass window, phone still in hand, to see him watching her with that broad, charming smile, feet planted wide, hands in his pockets. She clicked her phone, taking a picture of him before he could object.

"Fair's fair." She said with a cheeky grin, making him chuckle.

He held out a hand to her and they left the cathedral, returning to the car to continue their return journey.

They headed back to Calais, chatting along the way. They reached the ferry and left the car to get a cup of tea. They sat on a bench beside one another, watching the water as they moved away from the French coast. Kitty rested her chin on her hand, looking at the shrinking hills longingly, sighing as she wished this week didn't have to end.

"I'm sorry." Tom said with feeling, his hands dangling between his knees, regret written across his aquiline features.

Kitty looked over at him, shooting him a small smile.

"It's fine, I was just thinking that this has been the best week, I got to see so much, the British Museum, The Louvre, the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame...and you."

Tom coloured slightly and beamed, his smile breaking through the gloomy moment like the sun through the clouds, brightening the mood between them.

"It has been my pleasure." He said, his long fingers brushing her curls back from her eyes.

"Well, mine too." She shot back at him, raising an eyebrow at him with a wicked smile.

He laughed and leant in to kiss her and she tasted the tea on his lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist and they passed the rest of the trip talking.

It was mid morning when they disembarked in England, Tom driving steadily through the grey drizzle, Kitty asking him about his friend Benedict Cumberbatch, laughing at the stories Tom told about him.

Far too soon for her liking, they arrived at Kitty's hotel, Tom pulling into a park and sighing as he turned to her, flashing a quick, small regretful smile. He walked her up to her room, carrying her collection of bags. Kitty opened the door and let him in, closing the door behind him as he deposited the bags on the bed carefully.

He turned around, one hand casually slipping into his pocket, to see Kitty watching him from across the room.

"Would you care to have dinner with me tomorrow night, as a farewell before you head home? Also as an apology for having to drag you back so soon, of course."

Kitty bit her lip and looked away from his penetrating gaze, unsure if she should accept the invitation, her mind flicking back to the woman who called in the middle of the night.

"I promise I will explain everything over dinner." He said, trying to catch her eye. "My house, tomorrow night?"

Kitty looked into his hopeful face, a little surprised at the offer of dinner in his home. She saw the sincerity in his eyes and made up her mind to ask him about the woman who called and find out why she had such a draw over him.

"I would love to." She said, smiling up at him.

"Excellent, I will come and pick you up at 5pm tomorrow evening."

He stepped closer to her, slipping his arms around her and lowering his lips to hers, pressing her close to him. She gripped his shirt collar, kissing him passionately, as she slid her other hand down his back, squeezing his firm buttocks.

"Hold that thought." He murmured into her ear, kissing the point just below her ear, making her sigh.

Kitty pouted at him, still holding him close.

"You're no fun."

He raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a predatory grin. He stepped forwards, pushing her back by his grip on her waist, pressing her back until she hit the wall. He slid one hand up her body, brushing his fingers across her breast as he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue past her teeth. She held onto him desperately, loosing herself in her desire for this wonderful man.

He drew back slightly, his piercing blue grey eyes staring into hers, the length of his firm body pressing into hers, making her heart race.

"I have to go." He said in an undertone. "Until tomorrow evening, Miss Kitty."

She reached up to plant one last lingering kiss on his thin lips.

"I look forward to it."

She walked him to the door, leaning against the frame as he walked down the hall to the elevator, gifting her that broad charismatic smile before he disappeared.

Kitty turned back into her room, still unsure about whether or not he truly was unattached, but refusing to believe the worst of him. He had promised to tell her the reason behind their unexpected departure. And he had invited her to his home. She shivered with anticipation, her body still tingling from his touch moments before.

Kitty wandered around the room for half an hour, stacking her books and research notes into neat piles, packing them into a bag. She finished and left the bag on the floor, looking out the window at London. She turned on her heel and shook her head, trying to shake off a sense of melancholy. She picked up her coat and her bag and left the hotel, determined to do her souvenir shopping before she left the city. She picked up some bits and pieces for her family and got herself a quiet dinner, sipping her wine as she looked up at the Tower Bridge, playing over the last few days in her mind. She finished and walked back to her hotel, packing her purchases alongside her books. She sat in bed for a few hours, alternating between reading and looking out over the sparkling skyline, listening to the rhythm of the city. She gave up trying to read and stared out of the window, her arms wrapped around her knees, her mind bouncing from her pleasant memories with Tom, Paris, The Louvre, dancing and back to the late night phone call.

"No." She said aloud to herself, refusing to believe that he was cheating on another woman with her. She was sure he wasn't like that. She had been hurt before, but she didn't think he had it in him to do that. He was far too good of a person to do that.

Kitty turned out the lamp and settled down to sleep, feeling Tom's absence from her side keenly when she reached out a hand to touch the other side of the bed, cool and empty. She drifted off to sleep as her thoughts turned to the proposed dinner the next night, wondering what his house would be like, if it would be as surprising as the man himself had been.

 **(Several hours later)**

The phone rang, drawing Kitty out of her sleep.

"Hello?" She said groggily, trying to blink the sleep from her eyes. "What is it?"

"Tash, oh thank god. I need you!" Came a shrill voice out of the phone.

"Mum." She sighed. "What's the matter?"

"Oh Tash, it's your brother Lachlan, he went off on some camp and they were supposed to be back yesterday and they haven't been seen and no one has heard from them. Something has gone really wrong, I know it!"

"What?!" Kitty said, sitting up, suddenly wide awake. "How long has he been out on that camp?"

"A few days, it was just supposed to be a few days, but they are overdue by more than a day!" She sobbed loudly, unable to choke out any more words.

Kitty tried to think, it was a scout camp, she was sure, and Lachlan was a junior leader, so he wasn't alone and he wasn't unprepared. He had the training to find his way back without the use of GPS or compass, so if he wasn't back very soon, something was very wrong. The fact that he hadn't called when he had a phone with him was also a worry.

"Ok, ok." She said, trying to call her hysterical mother down. "I'm sure he is fine, he is very resourceful, he will be ok."

Her mother continued to cry, her words unintelligible and thick with emotion. Kitty looked at the clock. It was 3am, no wonder she had been dead to the world.

"I need you here, I can't handle this!" Her mother blubbered. "What if he is hurt, what if he doesn't come home?"

"Mum, calm down, it will be fine, Lachlan will be fine, he's a clever bloke. Of course I will come home, but you need to calm down."

"I will try!" She sniffed, breathing shakily.

"I have to go, I need to pack my things and book a ticket and get to the airport. I will call you as soon as I land. You will be ok, Mum. He will be ok. You need to stay calm."

"Hurry Tash, I need you home!"

"I will, I promise, call me if they find him, ok? I will call you just before I get on the plane too, alright?" Kitty said, flinging the sheets off as she swung out of bed.

"I will." Her mother said sniffling.

Kitty hung up and set about packing her things, throwing her clothes into her bag, calling the front desk to call her a cab. She threw on some clothes hurriedly, dressing warmly in whatever was clean.

She paused as she picked up her clothes from Paris. Tom. Dinner. Damn. It was far too early to call. She would have to call him later. The room phone rang, it was Ben on the front desk, telling her that her cab had arrived. She thanked him and swept her eyes over the room, making sure she had not left anything behind. Her eyes lingered on the blue orchids, starting to wilt on the low table. The card that had accompanied them was tucked in her purse, his intimate message staying close to her. She picked up her bags and left the room, heading downstairs and out to the cab, giving the driver instructions to head to the airport.

She arrived at the international airport and paid the cabbie, rushing inside. She found a flight that left in a few hours, managing to get through customs relatively quickly as there were few people travelling at this hour. She called her mother briefly, telling her she had arranged a flight that left shortly. She sat at the gate, staring numbly out into the flickering lights, panic for her brother starting to seep in. It was just after 6am, her flight was due to leave soon. Kitty shook herself out of her state, deciding that it was likely that Tom would be up soon, if he wasn't already. If she didn't call now, she might not have a chance before they were supposed to have dinner tonight.

She pulled out her phone and found his number, and pressed the call button. She took a deep breath, and tried to gather herself as it rang. It rang a few times, before his voicemail picked up. She listened to his melodious voice and waited for the message to end.

"Tom, it's Kitty. I'm sorry to call you so early. It's...um...I." Her voice shook as tears slipped down her face. She sniffed and shook herself. "Sorry. It's my brother, he's missing in a forest and my mother is hysterical. I have to leave immediately, I'm at the airport now." She paused, steadying her voice as it had become ragged as she spoke. "I'm sorry I won't get to say goodbye properly. Thank you. For everything. It was truly wonderful. I'll... I'll miss you." She breathed quietly. "Goodbye, Tom."

She hung up and looked up at the monitors, realising she had forgotten to give him her Australian number. She typed a message into her phone.

 _Tom, here is my Australian phone number, give me a call if you're ever in my part of the world and would like to catch up. Take care. Kitty. XO_

Kitty stood and picked up her carryon bag, as a voice called her flight to begin boarding. She dashed away tears as she moved to the gate, her sadness was a mix of fear for her brother and sadness at not being able to see Tom once more before she left for good.

'Ah well,' she smiled sadly to herself as she walked down to the plane. 'At least we'll always have Paris.'


	8. Chapter 8

The flight was hellish, Kitty was already tired when she boarded the plane, but she was unable to sleep properly, dozing fitfully and waking up to check the time periodically, checking to see when they would land. Eventually they arrived at Singapore for a brief stop, Kitty checking her phone to see if her mother or her brother John had called. There was a voicemail from John on her Australian number, telling her that the scouts had organised search parties to look for Lachlan and he asked her to call when she arrived in Australia.

Kitty sat at a small cafe, picking at a sandwich and sipping a black tea, staring blankly as people walked past laughing, excited to be travelling. After an hour, her connecting flight was called for boarding and she left the cafe. The flight from Singapore to Brisbane was decidedly shorter, but it was still exhausting. In the past twenty hours she had slept only briefly, snatching moments of rest. She stepped off the plane into Brisbane international airport, the humidity hitting her like a solid wall. She collected her bags and stood aside from the crowd, dialling John's number. He picked up on the second ring, clearly waiting for her call.

"John, any news?" She asked, abruptly.

"Nothing yet. The scouts are searching a grid pattern now, I'm about to head out and join them. Mum is waiting at home. She took something to help her relax."

Kitty's mouth tightened into a thin line as she shook her head.

"She was hysterical Kitty, it was better for everyone if she didn't panic." He said, heading off the outburst he knew was coming.

"Fine." She said in clipped tones. "I'll be there in an hour or two if you hear anything. Keep me posted, John."

"Of course." He said.

Kitty picked up her bags and took the train to Central station, changing over to another one that would take her to the outskirts of the city. She caught a cab from the station to the house, her youngest brother Connor letting her in. She hugged him, realising he was of an equal height with her. He had grown since the last time she had seen him several months ago.

"You okay?" She asked, holding his shoulders, looking into his face.

He nodded and tossed his head in the direction of their mother's room. She left her bags in the hall and peered around the door of the bedroom. Her mother was curled on the bed, obviously unconscious. Kitty closed the door and made her way to the kitchen, talking quietly with Connor as she made herself something to eat. Once Kitty had cleaned up she took herself off for a shower to wash off the hours of travel and sat on the bed next to her mother, finally slipping into sleep. She woke several hours later, her mother shaking her awake, shaking in her anguish for her middle son.

She hugged her mother as she wept and tried to keep her calm. Eventually she traded places with Connor, getting him to sit with her as she slipped out and cooked something for them all. John came in as she was plating up the food. She paused, looking up at him, searching his face hopefully. He shook his head, coming over to give her a brief hug.

"You look terrible." He said, conversationally.

Kitty shot him a dark look.

"You know he will be fine, he is well prepared for anything. It hasn't rained, there's no bushfire, we'll find him." He reassured her.

She nodded, carrying plates to the table. Connor brought their mother out, the boys coaxing her to eat. They sat at the table together after dinner, keeping one another company. John asked her questions about her trip and Kitty told him about her research and the places she had visited, happy to lose herself in the memories for a brief while. She smiled to herself, looking at her hands in her lap as she remembered dancing with Tom in Paris, the way he made her laugh, his arms around her. She shook her head and looked away, out into the darkened garden.

They all jumped at the sound of John's phone ringing loudly. He drew it out and answered it, all eyes on him. There was a brief conversation before he set the phone down on the table.

"They found him and his troupe." He said, exhaling loudly.

Their mother burst into tears, thanking God and hanging off John desperately. Kitty and John exchanged a glance.

"How is he?" She asked him.

"They said he has a broken leg, and is hungry but otherwise unharmed. They're taking him to the hospital as soon as they get him out of the forest." He replied.

She nodded as her mother exclaimed in dismay at his words. She gathered up the plates and handed her mother more of the relaxant that the doctor had prescribed, gently encouraging her to take the pills. She put her mother to bed, staying with her as she drifted off. She headed to bed herself, feeling the jet lag finally catch up with her.

She woke as the dawn broke, slipping out of the spare bed and rummaging through her hastily packed bags to find herself some clothes. John met her in the kitchen, silently handing her a plate of food. They ate quickly and Kitty got her bag and they slipped out of the house in John's ute, heading towards the hospital where Lachlan had been taken the previous night.

They arrived and asked directions to his room, the nurse directing them to a room halfway down the long hall. They went in and found Lachlan being checked over by a doctor. He waved at them feebly, his left leg held up in a cast. The doctor turned to them and explained his injuries to them. Minor, besides his broken leg, it would seem. He left them alone to catch up.

They stayed with him for several hours, talking about his time in the forest and his trip up until he had fallen down a hill and injured his leg. Kitty told him about the British Museum, describing the Egyptian and Roman exhibits in detail, since they were his favourite. They were shooed out at lunch time and headed home. John took Connor and their mother back up to the hospital for a brief visit and Kitty took the opportunity to sleep off some of her jet lag again.

The next two days followed in a similar pattern, visiting Lachlan at the hospital each day until he was brought home in good spirits on his crutches. Kitty had booked herself a train home for that afternoon, deciding she was more than ready to go home. It was an uneventful trip and Kitty made her way to her small house, halfway up a hill. She let herself in and dumped her things on the floor before collapsing on her bed with a sigh.

She began sorting through her phone, catching up on a few weeks worth of missed calls and messages. Kitty returned a few calls, telling her boss she was back and explained the situation to him, organising to meet him the next day. She sent messages to a few friends, telling them she was back in the country. There was a final message from an unknown number, she opened the message and smiled. It was from Tom.

 _Kitty, I completely understand, I hope your brother is found safe soon! It was my pleasure to spend some time with you. I hope to see you again one day. Call me when you find your brother and get home. Safe travels. Tom XO_

She checked the clock, working out the time difference. It was just after midday in London. She dialled his number, waiting for him to pick up.

"Mr Hiddleston's phone, Zoe speaking." Answered a young woman in clipped tones.

Kitty paused, taken aback for a moment.

"Hello?" Said the woman, Zoe, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Yes, hello, my name is Kitty, Tom asked me to call him a few days ago, and I was just wondering if he is available?" She asked, gathering herself.

"No, I'm sorry, he's working at the moment, can I take a message?" Zoe asked in an efficient tone.

"Um, yes, please. Could you please tell him that I was calling to let him know Lachlan has been found and that I said thank you for his concern?"

"Certainly." Replied Zoe. "What was your name again?"

"Kitty. Or Natasha Kind. He knows me by both names." Kitty replied.

She heard the pen stop moving on the other end of the line.

"Okay." Said Zoe, a questioning tone to her voice. "Is that all?"

"I suppose so. Thank you." Kitty said.

"Not a problem. Good afternoon." She said, promptly hanging up.

Kitty set her phone down and sighed. Well that was the end of that. It had been a truly spectacular time with Tom, he had made her laugh and taken her to some of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world. And the sex. Even the memory of it made her shiver with desire. His graceful hands and those long elegant fingers, his broad shoulders, that firm torso...

Kitty opened her eyes and shook her head, slipping off the bed, digging out her washing, beginning the arduous tasks that heralded returning to her everyday life.

The next few days were business as usual for Kitty, meeting with her boss, outlining her proposals for her research project and the accompanying book. Then she was back to research and writing, flitting between the archives, libraries and her office, everything else taking a back seat.

Kitty made a point of taking some time to message Lachlan and make sure his recovery was fine after a few days, ordering him some books when he complained of boredom. She transferred her pictures across to her computer, sorting out her research ones from her tourist ones. She found the picture of Tom in Saint Denis, his broad smile lighting up his face. She gazed at the image, a rueful smile on her face.

She opened a folder on her computer, going through files until she found the article she wanted. She opened it, re-reading it and deciding that her conclusions had been accurate. It was a journal article that she had written late last year, when she needed a break from pure history. It discussed the effect of the portrayal of mythological and historical characters by modern actors on the general public's opinion of those historical and mythological characters. She had used well-known examples, Scarlett Johansson's Mary Boleyn in _The Other Boleyn Girl_ , Colin Firth's Prince Albert/King George in _The King's Speech_ and Tom's own Loki in the _Avengers_ and _Thor_ movies. She scrolled down to read her conclusion about him.

 _"_ _Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki is perhaps one of the most interesting examples of an actor's ability to change the way in which the general public views mythological characters. Hiddleston portrays Loki in such a fashion that even though he plays a chaos-loving villain, one cannot but help to be intrigued as to why he has become such a twisted creature. The interest in Norse mythology has skyrocketed and within the Loki fandom arguments ensue as to whether Loki was truly a force of evil or rather an older vision of what fate and blind justice may have looked like. Hiddleston truly does credit to his craft in making his viewers think and debate the meaning of evil and wrong, an unusual skill for a villainous character._

She sat back, eyes flicking over to Tom's picture on her monitor. Having met him and discussed the Loki character with him, she felt she had been too modest in her praise of him now. Pity the article was already published. She opened up her Academia page and uploaded the article, hoping it would reach a broader audience than the journal it had been initially published in.

The next day she was just leaving the archives when her phone buzzed in her bag. She dug it out, juggling her books and notes. She squinted at the screen, but the glare made it impossible to see who was calling.

"Natasha speaking." She said formally.

"Is it Natasha now? What happened to Miss Kitty DeVine?" A deep British voice asked her.

Kitty paused, trying to drag her thoughts back from her research, squinting down at the screen again.

"Tom! Hello, what a pleasant surprise!" She said happily, "How are you?"

"Fine, darling. Sorry I didn't catch your call the other day, it's been rather hectic here. How have you been? How is your brother doing?"

"I'm fine, writing my research up, ready to present it to the Diocese. Lachlan is fine, seems to have recovered for the most part, now he just has to wait for his leg to heal. He's well enough to be bored already!" She told him, taking a seat under a broad tree so she could focus on his voice.

Tom chuckled. "Sounds about right! How goes the writing?"

"Excellent!" She said, enthusiastically. "I am putting together a proposal to make my research into a book."

"How wonderful! When do you make your presentation?" He exclaimed.

"End of next week." She said, tracing patterns in her lap.

"That seems very soon. Will you be ready?" He asked, concerned.

"Absolutely, I have been putting this proposal together for a long time, so I've just been shuffling papers really. And putting in my observations from London and Paris, of course. Particularly from Notre Dame."

"Really? How wonderful! I'm so pleased we went there!" He said.

"Me too. Thank you again for such a wonderful time." She murmured.

Any chance you will be coming back to London any time soon?" He asked casually.

Kitty laughed. "Um, I haven't planned another trip yet, but I would love to come back, and not just for research. Maybe see some of the rest of Britain."

"Come back in a few months," He insisted. "I'm filming out of the country soon, but you should come back after and I will show you around some more. We'll have that dinner. And more dancing!"

She smiled and shook her head, laughing quietly. Kitty heard a woman's soft voice murmuring to Tom.

"Yes?" Tom said, his voice coming from a distance, clearly speaking to the woman.

Kitty frowned, straining her ear to listen to the muffled conversation.

"Sorry darling, I have to go. Can I call you later?" He asked, coming back to their conversation.

"Um, look I don't want to get in the middle of anything if you're, um...busy." She said, biting her lip. "It's fine. I'll let you get back to it. Take care, Tom."

"Wait, Kitty, I will call you later, I'm sorry, I'll talk to you in a bit."

Kitty hung up and shook her head, confused by his behaviour. She wondered if it was the same woman again, the woman's voice had been quiet so she had been unable to tell for sure. Some part of her was hopeful that he really was interested in her, but the logical part of her argued against it. He lived on the other side of the world, they didn't know each other very well, and really, he was Tom Hiddleston after all!

She went home and continued putting together her book proposal, pausing to cook herself a late dinner. She was sitting on the bench playing about on her iPad waiting for her dinner to finish when the device rang in her hands. The name on the screen wasn't one she recognised, Bill Stone. She covered the front facing camera with her thumb and pressed the answer button. Tom's smiling face appeared on the screen.

"Good evening, Miss Kitty." He said with a grin. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and was sitting at a desk, books lining the wall behind him.

"Hello again." She said cautiously.

"Oh, I can't see you." He said, concerned.

Kitty raised the iPad up to eye height and said dryly: "That's because I have covered the camera. I am in my pyjamas you know."

"Really!" He said, laughing. "How interesting!"

"Hold on a minute, I will be back." She said, slipping off the bench and walking to her bedroom.

She placed the device on the bed, uncovering the camera as she moved away and found a oversized button up shirt to put on to cover her ragged pyjama top. She came back to the bed to see Tom looking around, inspecting what he could see.

"See anything interesting?" She said, raising an eyebrow as she held the screen up.

He grinned impishly at her. "Hey, you're the one who took me to your bedroom."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she sat on her couch, the device propped on the table in front of her. "What kind of alias is Bill Stone, by the way?"

"A terrible one." He replied cheerfully.

"Uh huh. While I remember, have you seen my black dress I wore out dancing in Paris? I have looked everywhere and I can't find it, I would hate to have lost it, it's one of my favourites."

"Oh yes, I found it in my suit bag the other day when I took it to get cleaned. I had your dress cleaned while they were at it." He replied, leaning back in his chair.

"Thank you for that." She murmured, playing with her long pony tail over her shoulder. "Could I trouble you to send it back to me, please?"

"Of course. What is your address?" He asked, reaching for a pen and piece of paper.

She gave him her address, thinking as she did so.

"Out of curiosity, how did you get my email for my iPad, Tom?" She asked, resting her hand on her chin.

"Pinched one of your business cards." He said, tucking his hands behind his head with a self satisfied smile.

She shot him an exasperated look.

"You know, maybe I will hold off on returning your dress, if it is one of your favourites, maybe you will be more inclined to come back to England sooner if you have some incentive." He said thoughtfully.

"An interesting thought." She said, crossing her arms and sitting back on her couch. "I have a counter offer for you, though."

"Oh?" He asked, tilting his head inquiringly.

Kitty held up one finger to the screen and walked back to her bedroom, retrieving Tom's black silk tie from her drawer. She sat back on the couch and twined the tie around her hands, covering the knuckles on both of her hands wordlessly. Tom frowned and leant forwards, trying to see what it was she held.

"Is...is that my tie?" He asked.

"Haven't collected any other black silk ties off English gentlemen lately, so I presume so." She replied nonchalantly, as she put it around her neck and began tying a school boy knot in it, ignoring Tom.

She finished tying the knot and looked across at the screen, taking in the look of amusement on his face. She watched his face as she tightened the knot, sliding it closer to her throat.

"If you want it, come and get it." She said softly, biting her lip. "And bring the dress with you."

She watched his hands tighten into fists as his eyes ran across what he could see of her. Kitty leant forwards and picked up the iPad, carrying it to the kitchen. She placed it on the bench as she served herself dinner.

"Isn't it after ten at night there?" He asked.

"Yep." She replied. "Got lost in some research and forgot what time it was, hence the late dinner."

She returned to the couch and propped the device next to her, mixing her stir fry as she spoke.

"So I believe you promised me an explanation for having to leave so suddenly over dinner?"

"Oh, just work stuff." He replied quickly, smiling.

She glanced up at him from her bowl for a brief moment.

"Ok." She replied, looking away, stabbing at her food, still wondering if she had inadvertently managed to become the other woman.

"I _am_ sorry we had to leave." He said again. "It couldn't be avoided."

"Of course." She said, still not looking up at him, being wary now. She should not let herself fall for his charming ways every five minutes, not until she found out what was going on.

"Kitty, what's the matter?" He asked, confusion written across his features.

She stopped playing with her food and set the bowl aside.

"Look, Tom, I don't want to get in the middle of anything, of anyone." She said, in a serious tone, slipping the tie off her neck and undoing the knot. "If you could just return my dress I would really appreciate it. I will send your tie back if you include a return address for me."

"Have I done something to offend you?" He asked, leaning forwards. "I don't understand."

"I heard the woman who called that night." She said, looking down at her hands in her lap, a distressed look on her face. "I didn't mean to, but she was rather loud and the door was open a bit. Look, if she's your girlfriend or whatever that's fine, I'm sorry, I didn't know, I won't try and contact you again."

"Kitty, no." He said, lacing his hands on the desk. "It's not like that. Honestly. Is that really what you think of me?"

"I hardly know you." She said honestly, wiping away the small tear under one eye. "I knew of you, but it's not like I stalked you online to find everything out about you. That's hardly fair and takes the fun out of getting to know someone."

"Well, thank you for taking the time to try to get to know me." He said softly. "But I think you may have missed a few key points if you think I would ever be disloyal to any woman I was with."

Kitty looked up into his face, seeing the disappointment there.

"I can't judge a man's loyalty any more. I made a grievous mistake in that regard once, and now I don't trust my judgement." She said bluntly. "It's nothing personal."

A look of pity passed across his face briefly, a sad smile touching the corners of his lips.

"I understand. But I will be honest with you, if you give me a chance." He murmured.

Kitty nodded, dashing away tears from beneath her eyes. "Alright."

"The woman who rang was my agent, Miranda. She needed me back for an emergency meeting with a director for a possible role. I usually tell her when I am going to be out of town on my time off, let alone out of the country. She was just concerned that I would miss the meeting. That's all it was. I'm just used to not being able to tell people any details. So many of the people around me are other actors, they understand that without explaining it. I'm sorry I didn't explain it to you." He concluded softly.

Kitty wrapped her arms around her knees and perched her chin there, looking at his earnest face on the screen.

"I feel like a bit of an idiot." She admitted.

"Nonsense. You weren't to know." He said, a hopeful smile on his lips.

She smiled back at him tentatively.

"So, can I keep calling you then?" He asked of her.

Kitty blushed and looked away.

"If you want to. I would like that." She replied quietly.

"I'm still going to hold your dress hostage until you come back and claim it."

"Incorrigible." She said shaking her head.

He flashed her a broad smile, his eyes crinkling as chuckled.

"So would you like to tell me about this man who hurt you?" He asked gently.

"Not really." She sighed, picking up her bowl again. "But I will anyway. I feel like I owe you that much."

His face turned serious. "You don't owe me anything, Kitty. I ask, because I want to know, so I don't hurt you again."

She gave him a lop-sided smile and talked about Brett, answering Tom's questions and laughing at his choice words for him. The knot under her breast bone loosened and she felt herself relax, the conversation turning to Tom's agent and how he had met her and the work they had done together. He talked about his time training in RADA, and the things he had gotten up to there. An hour later she had returned to her smiling self, laughing at his stories.

"I am sorry that I gave you any reason to think ill of me." He said genuinely. "I am glad you gave me a chance to explain. It's nice to see you with a smile again."

She smiled at him. "Thank you. I'm sorry I overreacted."

He smiled gently at her. "Look, I have to go again, but I will call you next week, after you present your proposal? You can tell me how it goes."

"Sure." She said. "That would be great."

"Take care, darling." He said, affectionately.

"And you." She replied, blushing.

She ended the call and sat back, thinking over the past hour. His agent. Of course. She had been a bit paranoid in thinking it was anything else. That Brett had ruined her ability to trust men. But Tom made her think that there was certainly a reason for taking a chance on someone again.


	9. Chapter 9

Kitty spent the week reading her proposal and making minor adjustments, making sure she knew her project and research sources backwards and forwards. The morning of her meeting with the Diocese officials she opened her emails to find one from Tom wishing her luck and promising to call her in the evening which made her smile to herself.

Kitty dressed in her bespoke skirt suit in royal blue, pinning the fern brooch from Tom to her lapel to finish the ensemble. She straightened the brooch in the mirror and inspected her appearance. 'As ready as I'll ever be.' She thought to herself with a twinge of nerves.

The proposal presentation went well. The Monsignor was present, which was a pleasant surprise. She had spent many an hour discussing with him the importance of the Cathedral and sharing ideas on how to best conserve it for future generations. Kitty was well prepared for the questions they asked, detailing her research plans and ideas for each part of the proposed book. The officials wholeheartedly agreed with her, and offered their own memories of the church in the community. They agreed to commission her to write the book, organising to sign a contract the following month. She left the meeting jubilant, she was going to write and publish her first book! She stopped at her friend Bec's house to share the news and they decided a celebratory late lunch was in order. The two friends discussed the project over the food and light champagne, Bec quizzing her on her trip overseas.

Kitty stopped at a bottle shop on her way home, picking up a bottle of her favourite white wine to celebrate. She was just sitting down at her desk, glass of wine in hand when her iPad rang out beside her. She looked over and saw it was Tom. She smiled and answered the call, sitting back in her chair with her glass in hand.

"Hello beautiful." He said smiling at her. "You look lovely today."

"Hello handsome." She replied, blushing.

"So, how did it go?" He asked eagerly.

"Excellent, I have been given approval to write the book and they loved my ideas!" She said happily, toasting him with her glass.

"Spectacular, congratulations!" He replied happily.

"Thank you!" She said, setting down her glass. "They very much liked my observations from Notre Dame and Saint Denis, they thought I went 'above and beyond in my research' by travelling to France to visit those churches."

"I hope you didn't tell them you were there for a trip full of debauchery and dancing." He laughed.

"Not sure how that would have sat with the bishop and the Monsignor." She murmured, looking at her glass of wine thoughtfully. "Good thing I just told them I had always wanted to go and seized the opportunity to go on my last few days. Mostly true, anyway."

He shook his head and noticed she was wearing the brooch he had given her, he nodded to it, saying: "It's lovely to see you wearing that. Must mean you like it."

She reached up to stoke the curling pin, murmuring: "It reminds me of you, it makes me smile."

She sipped her wine to cover her blush as he grinned at her.

"You know, I never asked you what you were doing in my hotel the night we met." She said thoughtfully, curling up in her chair.

"Ah, well, I was supposed to be meeting a friend who was staying there for a drink in the bar before we went out for a work dinner. I happened to be a bit early and after I...assisted...you back to your room, I went back to find him and told him I had been delayed by a damsel in distress and we went out to dinner as planned."

"Seriously?" She asked him over her glass, combing her hair out with her free hand. "That's rather shameless!"

"Well, I take my fun where I can. I'm a busy man!" He replied.

"Apparently so!" She laughed, finishing her glass off. "Hold on, I will be back in a minute."

Kitty left the room and returned with the entire bottle of wine, sitting it down beside her as she sat before topping up her glass. She looked over at the screen to see Tom raising an eyebrow at her.

"I'm celebrating." She said, innocently, toasting him. "My friends are supposed to be coming over for a dinner party tomorrow night to celebrate properly, but I felt something was warranted today."

"How has your week been, anyway?" She asked, changing the subject as she sipped at her wine.

He told her what he could about his latest film, and watched with increasing amusement as she progressively became more and more bubbly, Kitty not realising how hard the wine was hitting her.

"Out of curiosity, have you had any dinner yet?" He said casually, checking his watch, calculating the time difference.

"Does grape salad count?" She said, pointing to the half empty bottle of wine.

"Probably not." He laughed. "I do believe you are slightly drunk, Miss Kitty."

Kitty reviewed the past few minutes of conversation and examined her empty wine glass and the level of wine in the bottle. She turned back to the screen and shrugged, pouring herself another.

"What of it? Pity you're not here, I have been told I am particularly fun when I am tipsy. It's funny, according to my friends, especially when I try to dance."

He raised an eyebrow at her and leant forwards. "That is something I would like to see."

She uncurled her legs, crossing her ankles on her desk, sitting side on to the screen. She leant forwards and shrugged out of her jacket, laying it out of sight on her desk.

Kitty looked up at him and grinned impishly as she slowly undid several of the buttons on her blouse, trailing her fingers up and down her slender neck as he watched on, his eyes fixated on her hand.

"Where did you learn kinbaku?" She questioned him softly, referring to his skills with the rope the night they had met.

His eyes flicked up to her face. "Here and there." He said casually, leaning back again.

"Be secretive then." She sniffed. "I did not imagine that would be something that would interest you." She said, finishing off her third glass.

"Why not?" He asked, genuinely curious.

She shrugged, pouring another glass with exaggerated carefulness.

"It's not a common skill or predilection."

"Hm." He murmured, "I can't say I'm surprised to discover a pin up girl such as you has a penchant for kinbaku."

"Only sometimes." She said frankly. "I have to be in control of so many things for much of the time, it's such a release to be able to relinquish that control, even momentarily."

"That's something I can understand. I have to be disciplined in how I spend my time, both when I'm working and when I'm not, I have so much going on." He replied tiredly.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Interesting." She murmured with a seductive smile. "Must be my turn to be in control next time I see you."

She watched his startled face through her lashes as she toyed with her glass, smiling at the intense look of curiosity there.

"You're full of surprises." He said softly.

"I try." She laughed. "No sense in not sampling all that life has to offer."

Tom agreed and turned the conversation to lighter topics for a time. After a while Tom had to say good bye and get on with his day. Kitty cooked herself some spaghetti and curled up on her couch munching away happily while watching a movie.

The next day was Saturday and Kitty spent the day cleaning up her small house and making up a lasagne for her dinner party with her friends. In the early evening she cleaned up and dressed herself in loose wide leg slacks and the purple silk blouse from Paris. She poured wine for herself and her friends as they arrived, passing around the glasses and accepting their congratulations on her commission. She was chatting with Leila when David arrived, greeting her with an appreciative look at the way the silk blouse clung to her and kissing her cheek.

All six of them sat down to the lasagne and salad she had prepared, eating and drinking, catching up with one another. They worked their way through several bottles of wine and Craig put on some music, dancing with his fiancé Leila around Kitty's lounge, causing the others to laugh. Kitty clapped and laughed along with the others, allowing David to top up her glass as she showed Bec and Jasmine her pictures from her trip.

She was pleasantly mellowed by the wine and the company and was returning her iPad to her office when David wandered in after her.

"Don't you look lovely, Kitty." He said, leaning on the door frame, filling the exit with his broad shoulders.

"Thanks, Dave." She said, setting down the device on her desk and turning to face him. "Can I get you another drink? You like whiskey, right?"

"In a bit." He said, pushing himself off the doorway and walking towards her. "Tell me, when are you going to let me take you out to dinner?" He asked, reaching out to brush an errant strand of hair off her cheek.

"When your idea of dinner is just dinner, my friend!" She said with pointed emphasis, side stepping his touch and leaving the room.

She went to the kitchen and pulled out a tumbler and ice and poured David a whiskey. He would hit on her once in awhile, and so long as she turned him down, they remained friends. His flirting was harmless enough, and it had been fun in the past, they went on the odd 'date' to concerts in town or to a movie, but it never progressed further. Kitty suspected she was merely someone he flirted with when he was bored, but she enjoyed his company nonetheless. He was, however, a good friend and an intelligent person to talk to, for all his flaws as a potential partner.

She stopped for a moment to speak to Bec and Jasmine, weighing in on a discussion about Doctor Who briefly before leaving them to their argument and returning to the office. The door was shut and Kitty had to balance her wine glass and his whiskey to open the door. She saw David sitting at her desk, his back to her and her iPad in his hands.

"Dave, what are you doing?" She asked, setting down the drinks.

"Looking up an article for you, I saw something published in a history journal recently I forgot to forward you the email, it was something about iconography in Australian churches, and I wasn't really paying that much attention to it." He said absent mindedly as he logged into his email and hunted for the email in question. "Ah, here it is! Come and see, there are pictures of the windows of St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, you like that one right?" He said as he turned the device to face her.

Kitty set the drinks down and rested one hand on the desk, leaning down across David, squinting to read the title on the small screen.

David pushed the chair back and reached over to tug gently on her hip, drawing her to sit on his knees. Kitty allowed herself to settle in his lap as she focussed on skimming the article, not paying attention to the fact that his hand was still resting on her hip.

"There, the windows from St Mary's." David murmured as he used his free hand to point to the screen.

Kitty tilted the screen downwards to counteract the glare of the ceiling light behind her.

"This is interesting, and yes the windows are lovely." She said, examining them minutely.

"How did you come across this journal anyway, not exactly in your field of architecture is it?" She questioned, turning to look at him.

David shrugged, saying. "Client has a thing for gothic architecture and stonework and this popped up."

"Huh. Makes sense." She said tilting her head as she thought for a moment. "Have you looked at Nussbaum's book about - ."

Kitty was interrupted by her iPad ringing out, causing her to turn to see who was calling her.

"Hello hello, who's Bill Stone?" David asked, reaching past her to answer the call. "Shall we say hello?"

Kitty whipped back around to face David and gripped his arm, opening her mouth to tell him not to answer the call, but his reach was longer than she anticipated and he had already pressed the 'answer' button.

Kitty turned back in time to see Tom's image fill the screen, dressed in a dark blue woollen pullover and his glasses and smiling at her. As the camera at her end connected she realised too late that she was still sat in David's lap, his hand resting casually on her hip.

His radiant smile slipped from his lips as he took in the scene before him, Kitty sitting in the lap of a tanned, blue eyed man who looked altogether too comfortable holding onto her.

"Oh he's not bad, a little bit pretty for you, isn't he?" David quipped as he examined Tom. "Hello, Bill." David said pleasantly, unaware of Tom's identity, shifting his grip on Kitty's hip to rest his hand on her leg, idly tracing patterns on her thigh

"Hello." Tom said brusquely as his eyes followed the movement of David's hand. "I've caught you at a bad time, Kitty, I thought perhaps your party was over, but I can see it's not." Tom said, fiddling with a pen on his desk. "I'll call you some other time."

"Oh a Brit, did you find this one on your trip Kitty?" David asked casually.

Kitty looked at Tom's unreadable face, silently pleading with him to understand as she stood, holding the device in her hand as David's hand slid off her leg.

"Dave, would you mind giving me a moment please?" She murmured softly to him as she half turned to face him still sitting comfortably in her chair.

David looked up at her with his dark blue eyes for a moment, mischief evident there as he rolled the chair back and stood, picking up the forgotten glass of whiskey. Leaning in to place a light kiss on Kitty's cheek, he winked to Tom's image on the iPad as he sauntered from the room, closing the door behind himself

Kitty sat in the vacated chair and set the device down and looked at Tom, a guarded expression on her face.

"Friend of yours?" Tom asked a little too casually.

"David." She replied watching his face. "He's a friend and an architect. He was just showing me a journal article about gothic architecture."

Tom raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head in an unspoken question.

Kitty hastened to speak, hating the tension that was punctuating their conversation.

"We hang out sometimes, go to the movies and concerts together sometimes. Just as friends of course. Nothing more." She explained matter of factly.

"I didn't say anything." Tom replied.

"No, but I just thought I would explain." She murmured. "And as for the kiss – well, David just likes to stir up trouble, it doesn't mean anything. It's not like I'm sleeping with him or anything."

Tom leant back and rested his chin on his fist, his features flickering for a moment with her casual comment.

Kitty's eyes widened at his reaction.

"Is that what you think of me? That I would casually sleep with my male friends as soon as I got home and away from you?" She questioned him, quiet anger building in her voice.

"No. Kitty, I..." He said, his face softening, seeing her indignation.

"I may have jumped straight into bed with you, but that is certainly not how I usually react to a men I have just met. I felt an immediate attraction towards you and saw no reason to pass on the opportunity to spend the night with you. The rest was just far more than I could have hoped for." She burst out angrily, a tear sliding unnoticed down her cheek.

"Kitty, I'm sorry. David just seems rather possessive of you for someone who is just a 'friend'." Tom's brows knitted with concern as he watched her.

Kitty dashed away the solitary tear and straightened up.

"And you aren't? What makes you think you are entitled to comment on other men in my life, Tom? It's not as though you and I have categorized our relationship as anything more than just 'fun'." She interjected. "How dare you judge my actions, whether imagined by you or otherwise?! Especially when you seemed happy enough to be in my bed not so long ago!" She said indignant.

Kitty turned her face away, letting a curtain of hair hide her face as she took a deep breath to collect herself.

"I have guests." She said abruptly, tossing her head to face the door, seeing Tom about to speak. "I have to go."

"Kitty, wait! I apologise, I didn't mean to offend you." Tom said hurriedly. "I'm just concerned for you and your well being, that's all."

Kitty paused for a moment, her anger wavering as she bit her lip, searching his face.

"Fine." She replied stiffly. "I do need to see to my guests now."

Tom sighed and nodded, concern still written across his usually happy features.

"I will speak to you later then?" He queried.

Kitty hesitated and toyed with her wine glass, looking away from the screen, still irritated with Tom's assumption that she was casually bedding her friend. She glanced back at his face, her mood softening at seeing his small hopeful smile.

Kitty nodded abruptly, murmuring "If you want, but not for a few days. I have things to do."

Tom nodded in understanding. "Of course, darling. I will speak to you then. Have a good evening."

"Thanks." She said in a clipped tone. "Bye Tom."

She pressed the 'end call' button as she saw him reaching to do the same. She sat back in her chair, her brows furrowing with frustration as she replayed the conversation in her mind. She could feel herself getting angry again at his assumption that she was sleeping with David. It wasn't as though he had some particular claim on her, they had simply met and had a good time together! As for David, well, he had always been a flirt, but it wasn't something she actively encouraged, more that she enjoyed it when it did happen, so long as he didn't become too pushy, which he never had. She knew she was just an amusement for David in that regard, but it didn't concern her as long as he remained good company.

Kitty huffed with indignation at Tom's assumption that she couldn't see what David was playing at or that she couldn't contain his advances. She dashed back her wine and shook her head, refusing to let this dark mood overtake what was left of her fun evening, trying to bury her annoyance at the men in her life.


End file.
